Fairydust
by Pikachumaniac
Summary: To get rid of an unrelenting pursuer, Seto somehow manages to persuade Ryou to act as his boyfriend for a week. It’s just that neither of them ever expected it to lead to something more… grin SetoRyou (119 Story Complete)
1. You WHAT! The Deal

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, you'll see some cute guys cuddling each other. Get the picture?

Fairydust ~ To get rid of an unrelenting pursuer, Seto somehow manages to persuade Ryou to act as his boyfriend for a week. It's just that neither of them ever expected it to lead to something more… *grin* Seto*Ryou

PM: I decided that I really needed to write a happy fic. Angst and dark fics are fine, but there are times that I need to unwind. And I really did take a look at my in-progress fics. Among which is a fantasy fic, a fic dealing with recovering from rape, and one about prostitution… *voice trails off as she notices people staring incredulously at her* Err…

Yami: NOOOOOOO! DO NOT PUBLISH THAT FIC!

PM: Too late! I WILL PREVAIL AND WRITE IT! BWAHA!

Yami *decides to beseech the readers*: Help! Tell her not to write it! Tell her to let it rot! Tell her it's no good! PLEASE!

PM: Yami… tight leather… Yami and Seto… *eyes unfocus* Yami looking totally sexy… *laughs nervously* Doesn't matter… that story will be written in due course, but now it's on to this fic! It takes place in the future, specifically college. :P Anyhow, this fic is inspired by Musouka-san's "Paper Moon". If you like Digimon and Jyouto, or just want to read a fabulous romance written by a fantastic writer, read that fic! Also, before we continue, note that the information comes from the manga, rather than the anime (dubbed or Japanese). As for the important people who helped me get this fic written, I must thank my two beta-readers, Mariel and Mary Jo. Honestly, my mistakes can be so stupid that I just skip right over them! But thank you both for providing me with confidence just to keep going on with this fic. Thanks to Kei-kun and pinkangelsakura for those useful plot bunnies, but especially to Kei-kun since she listened to me rant even while suffering from jet lag. :) Thank you, all four of you.

Yue (CCS): Goody, now I get to do couplings… again *note the sarcasm and disdain dripping in his voice* The couplings will be Seto*Ryou, Honda*Ryuuji (Ryuuji Otogi…not an OC… he's real), Jyounouchi*Mai, and Yuugi*Anzu.

Ryou: Also, PM's hoping that Y. Malik has been banished (or killed), so he's not showing up. *pause* At all.

Yami Malik: WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?!?! THIS CAN'T BE!

PM: Wah?! Get out! No psychopaths in the author notes!! *shoves him out*

Jyou (Digimon): Then how does that explain your presence? *ducks a slap*

****

Rated PG for language, shounen-ai, and extreme fluff :P

~ You _WHAT?!_ (The Deal) ~

Otousan used to tell me a story about some poor people who got sprinkled in fairydust. Apparently, the powder worked somewhat similar to Cupid's arrows, except instead of making the people fall in love with the first person they saw, it forced them to reveal their innermost, truest desires. I don't exactly remember much about the story itself, considering how I had been up until four in the morning waiting for otousan because he had forgotten his house keys (he does that quite often, now that I think of it) and, oh joy, the plane had been delayed. What I do remember is that after waking up… well really, I was woken up by this horrific ringing sound. I got a very angry phone call from Honda-kun. Apparently, my other had paid attention to the story, went to a perfume store, bought some powdery substance called 'Fairydust', and used it on the first victim he saw. Namely Honda-kun. Why, I really don't know, but I suppose it is the thought that counts.

To be frank, it really didn't work. Rather ironically, it turned out that Honda had already confessed to Otogi-kun the night before, so getting perfume powdered all over him over a silly story didn't really improve his mood. Poor Otogi-kun, he just didn't know what to say and had walked out, completely flustered. I think it was very out of character for Otogi-kun, but I suppose that when somebody confesses this type of thing to you, it makes you nervous. Even now, several months later, he still isn't very comfortable around Honda-kun.

It didn't help when I later found out that the perfume store was on the look-out for psychotic, white-haired teenagers. My guess is that Yami Bakura had done more than simply buy the perfume, and I was proved correct when the police ended up on my doorstep. I will never forgive Yami Bakura for that, especially after I got my credit card bill back. He did a bit more than just buy perfume, and if this happens again, I'm going to find some way to get a restraining order on him.

Anyhow, when I later told Yuugi-kun and Jyounouchi-kun, they thought it was very funny. Honda-kun didn't think so, he just came into the classroom and glared at me, muttering about psychotic others. I apologized, but I think he is still a bit mad at the spirit. Even if it was last school year, on the second-to-last day of school.

This year is our first year of college. Much to our surprise, we all got accepted into the same college, which means we aren't going to be stuck seeing each other only on vacation. I'm glad, I don't think I could have dealt with it. Not only are these the best friends I could possibly have, but they understand about Yami Bakura. All things considered, they dealt with getting turned into game pieces as well as anybody could possibly expect one to.

On the other hand, Anzu was also very surprised that we all got accepted to Tokyo University. Well, she wasn't surprised that she got in (or Yuugi-kun, or Honda-kun, or Otogi-kun, or myself), she was surprised that Jyounouchi-kun got in. So was Honda-kun, but he was still upset about Otogi-kun so he didn't bother teasing Jyounouchi-kun. It didn't matter though because Kaiba-kun made up for his lack of spirit, and completely wore Jyounouchi-kun down until he was ready to strangle Kaiba-kun.

Speaking of which…

"Kaiba-kun… I don't think I completely understand what you're asking for…" I find myself saying rather lamely. Kaiba-kun sighs, his turquoise-blue eyes looking at the sky in the typical 'why me' gesture. I am sure he is regretting his decision already.

"It's simple," he speaks slowly, as if I am hard of hearing. Or maybe just stupid. I know it's simple, but doesn't he realize what he's asking for?

"There is a major deal going on with my company, and I can't afford to blow it. But the other guy's daughter is taking advantage of that and keeps pestering me, asking me if she thinks she's cute. If she asks me one more time, I'm going to lose it and tell her I think she's pretty but a pain-in-the-ass. Then she'll get mad, tell her father, and the deal will go down. She wants to be my girlfriend, but I can't think of any polite way of refusing without having her break down in tears and make her father break the deal. So I want you to pretend you're my boyfriend so I can get rid of her," he explains calmly. I stare at him, as if he has suddenly grown four heads and eight arms. In fact, I don't think I would be staring at him as much as I am now even if he suddenly did start sprouting extra body parts.

"Kaiba-kun…" I start, but he cuts me off.

"It's very simple. I just need somebody to go to a couple banquets, a couple parties, not that much. The deal should be over in about a week, and then it will be over."

Well, just out of the curiosity of my soul, why did that somebody have to be me?

"Oh," I manage to get out. My throat is dry and the word seems to stick in my throat before being pushed out, probably by a malicious imp living in my body. And I'm not talking about Yami Bakura.

I look at Kaiba-kun. He is quite handsome, I have to admit. I never would have thought he was gay. Why couldn't he just tell this daughter the truth or something? I'm sure she wouldn't be chasing him around then. Either way, if he carries out with this plan, then they will definitely know he is gay.

Maybe this is just his way of doing things. I'm not sure, I am not him. And I wouldn't want to be him… I don't think I could run my own company for two minutes if my life depended on it. I have enough of my own problems, thank you very much, most of those problems stemming from an ancient pendent that currently happens to be hanging around my neck.

Still, the 'why me' keeps floundering in my mind. It demands to be answered. I try to wrack my brains for the answer, but cannot come up with much. To be truthful, I don't think Kaiba-kun even knew I existed, except maybe as one of Yuugi-kun's annoying cheerleader friends (although I must admit, I wasn't in the state to do even that during the Battle City tournament, spending most of time in hospital beds or in the belly of a monster). I have certainly done nothing that would warrant his attention, unless you want to count making a complete idiot out of myself during Battle City. Or maybe he just remembers me getting eaten by a shadow monster. I suppose those are the types of things that people remember. But certainly that does not justify asking me to do this.

I just don't understand. Perhaps it is pity, the poor, pathetic Bakura Ryou who was always being used by the spirit within the Sennen Ring. Maybe that is precisely why. He probably figures that since I was already being used, I wouldn't mind being manipulated again for a week or so.

I look at him. He isn't that type of person, is he? Sure, I have never gotten to know him that well, but still…

Also, how did he know I was gay anyway? It's not like I announced it. (Maybe this myth of 'gay-dar' really isn't a myth… of course, that would not explain why _I_ didn't know about him being gay, so that kind of knocks off that idea.) I bet Jyounouchi-kun told him, he really needs to keep his mouth shut sometimes. You would think that nearly being killed repeatedly would help him realize that.

"Why don't you ask Yami-kun?" I finally ask. And again, I am not talking about Yami Bakura. I wouldn't submit anybody to that torture for all the money in the world. But it always seemed to me that Yuugi's Yami and Kaiba-kun got together quite well, considering how they spend the entire time yelling at each other to stop their self-pity and get up or are trying to beat each other at Magic and Wizards [2]. But they do seem well-suited for each other, personality-wise. Not that I have been making up couplings for my friends, silently pairing them up in my mind.

Kaiba-kun looks like he has just eaten a rotten apple. "Are you joking?"

I wince. Scratch that possibility.

"Yuugi-kun? No, wait, he's with Anzu…"

"Otogi is still wallowing in guilt about what he did to Honda, who is still moping about Otogi. Malik scares me even with his psychopath friend banished, Isis still annoys me, and Mai is dating Jyounouchi. And don't even mention that make inu [1], I wouldn't date him even if that woman was threatening to marry me if I didn't find a boyfriend, make-believe or not," Kaiba-kun interrupts, giving me that condescending look again, "Are we going to go through every person that we know?"

Of course not. Then we would have to mention Mokuba, and I am quite sure Kaiba-kun will murder me if I dare suggest that, even if it is in good humor. I idly wonder if Kaiba-kun even has a sense of humor. It seems doubtful, considering I have never heard him laugh or seem him smile except at Magic and Wizards or Mokuba.

_I wouldn't date him even if that woman was threatening to marry me if I didn't find a boyfriend, make-believe or not._

Make-believe. I feel like an object. How could he do this to me? Oh wait, this is probably why he is doing this to me. He doesn't need to worry about hurting me. It is not as if we had any type of friendship to speak of. Heck, it s not as if we had any _relationship_ whatsoever to speak of.

"Gomen," was the murmured reply. My cheeks are burning, and I'm starting to feel ill. If I could just collapse right here and avoid making a decision, I would welcome it gladly. Even if I have to be in a coma for the rest of the week, I honestly wouldn't mind. Somebody help me, please?

"Look," Kaiba-kun is getting very impatient, I wouldn't be surprised if he just walked out on me, "Please don't be difficult." Excuse me, I'm being difficult? "It'll only be for a week or so. I will even pay you if you want."

My temper is starting to flare. That doesn't happen too often, but being treated like some type of second-hand servant isn't going to make anybody's day. It causes me to stand up, bitterly snapping, "I am simply trying to figure out if you mean this or are enjoying a poor joke at my expense. I am sorry if you are having problems and I want to help you but you don't need to act like I owe it to you!"

Kaiba-kun looks taken aback, and I probably would be too if I wasn't so mad. He stares at me; his eyes look as if they are trying to place me, as if he had never seen me before. Which might not be too far from the truth, we've had approximately one conversation since we've met, and that involved me defending Jyounouchi-kun. I didn't even get to finish the sentence then anyway. I hold my breath. Either he will just ignore my outburst and continue his request… or walk away.

I'm not really sure which one is worse.

To my surprise, he breaks into a warm smile. Kaiba-kun definitely doesn't smile like that much, and certainly never because of me. Now I'm the one who's shocked, and he takes my hand. It's very cold, but his grip is strong and my cheeks are really starting to turn red as his hand warms from the contact.

"You're not what I expected," he states simply.

I'm staring at him again. Somebody call an ambulance, although I'm not sure which one of us needs to get that lobotomy. Maybe both so we can go for a group special, and then get Honda-kun and Otogi-kun to join. I am sure they need one too.

"Does that mean we have a deal?" Kaiba-kun's voice shakes me out of my rapid thoughts… this is not happening, this cannot be happening…

The malicious imp strikes again, pushing out the one-word reply for me.

"Hai."

I groan inwardly. Oh Kami-sama, I am going to be regretting my decision, aren't I?

~ * ~

"You WHAT?!" Jyounouchi-kun practically screams as I do my best to concentrate on different international environmental treaties and policies. Kyoto protocol… Montreal protocol… CITES… of course I am not listening to the hysterical blonde behind me…

It would have worked better if Jyounouchi-kun didn't slam the textbook shut, narrowly missing slamming the heavy cover on my hands. I glare at him, patience spent out from this afternoon's incident, but I think he is quite beyond the point of caring though. Maybe if he had slammed it on my hand and I started screaming in pain, I would have gotten more sympathy. From his expression though, it is rather doubtful. Currently, he is staring at _me_ as if I am the one who has sprouted four heads and eight arms.

"Excuse me, Bakura, but did I hear you right?! Seto Kaiba… I am sure we only know of one, that sleezebag… asked you to pretend to be… be… _his_ boyfriend?!"

The blush is creeping up on my cheeks again as I softly mumble, "Hai."

Evil, vindictive, sadistic imp.

"And you _agreed_?!" he really is going crazy, I wonder if I can persuade him to join our group lobotomy outing. That would be fun, we'll all just run over to the hospital and get our brains messed up. Which I suppose isn't much of an accomplishment, I am sure my brain is already messed up.

Even softer, barely audible, "Hai."

"I don't believe it," Jyounouchi-kun falls onto my bunk, staring at the ceiling as if he is expecting it to fall on his head any minute. Just when I think the topic is dropped, a bit foolishly on my behalf, I must admit, he jumps up again, "I mean, this is like having Honda run in here in tears to tell me that Otogi is in love with… I don't know, Isis or even worse, Malik!"

"You're overreacting," I reply calmly, sounding remarkably like Kaiba-kun. That certainly doesn't escape Jyounouchi-kun's notice, and he lets out a sound that is just as remarkably similar to a banshee scream.

"You even sound like him! That does it, I'm putting a stop to this!"

Before he can get off the bed, I throw a pillow at him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Jyounouchi-kun, Kaiba-kun asked me to do this for him as a favor. He is my friend," heaven have mercy on my soul, he's my _friend_? I barely know the guy, and I doubt he knows me either, "…and I want to help him. He did not brainwash me in any way, despite what you might want to think. I chose this out of my own free will."

Angrily, he throws the pillow on the ground.

"Bakura, I don't care about that slime, and I wouldn't care if he suddenly decided to jump off a cliff or the top of his fancy building. What I _do_ care about is that he might be unwittingly hurting you, or even worse, knowingly doing so. Don't you understand? He's _using_ you."

The worst part is that I _do_ already know this.

"Jyounouchi-kun… it will be all right." I can tell that this does not bring much comfort to him. He's not even bothering to hide his anger, but I don't know how to placate him.

"Jyounouchi! Bakura! Yuugi! Get out here now!" Honda-kun's voice suddenly comes through the door… he sounds hysterical, which is something he has sounded like since… well, you know.

Jyounouchi-kun twitches nervously… he's probably afraid that Honda-kun's news involved something about Otogi-kun dating a teacher or something along those lines. Completely forgetting that Honda-kun tends to overreact when it comes to Otogi-kun. Especially these days. He almost had a heart attack when he saw Yami-kun in Otogi-kun's room. He convinced us all that the two were having some sort of an affair until Yami-kun threatened him with a mind crush. Poor guy. I think deep down Otogi-kun really does like Honda-kun, he probably just doesn't know what to say.

It's certainly easier to think about these soap-operaish problems rather than my own new predicament. I wonder idly if it is too late to call Kaiba-kun and back out. My hand reaches for the phone, but before I can lift it off its hook, Honda-kun comes in and drags Jyounouchi-kun and I into the hallway, where Yuugi-kun is shaking his head, uncharacterically rolling his eyes (and praying to the gods, I am sure).

As I try to think of different solutions to my problem, ignoring what is going on (it is usually the same story anyway. Honda-kun will scream, Yuugi-kun will calm him down as Jyounouchi-kun not so helpfully laughs his head off, Honda-kun will try to kill Jyounouchi-kun, Yuugi-kun will try to break up the argument, I will somehow get pulled into a dogpile comprised mainly of fists and obscenities, and Yuugi-kun and I will almost end up in a hospital due to suffocation while Jyounouchi-kun and Honda-kun remain unscathed. Give or take a detail or two, it always happens this way, which is very bad for my health), I suddenly notice that Honda-kun is no longer screaming incoherently. I then remember that it was _Jyounouchi-kun_ screaming incoherently, and now there is a long silence as three sets of googly-eyes make their way towards me. I blink and look at them, trying to ignore the sensation of having a rubber ball bouncing in my stomach, making me want to throw up.

Then, I wince as Yuugi-kun and Honda-kun screech at the same exact time.

"YOU _WHAT_?!"

I sigh as the three all start to babble incoherently. There is really no point in explaining, as they are all speaking too loudly for me to get a word in edgewise. Besides, what is there to say? All I can do is stand there and hope Anzu or Otogi-kun or _somebody_ else in the dorm comes in to shut them up. But I suppose that is unlikely, considering how Honda-kun's screaming never gets any reaction besides a bucket of water being thrown on all four of us.

Silently praying to every god who ever existed, whether they be past, present, or even future, I hope beyond all that is plausible that I somehow survive this ordeal.

I am not, by all means, a natural pessimist. I prefer to see the good in people, prefer to look for the light at the end of the tunnel (and no, I am not talking about death!) rather than lose hope because of the darkness closing around. That optimism has helped survive certain ordeals… such as a certain spirit in the Sennen Ring… but I've always looked at the bright side of a situation, no matter how hopeless it seemed. Yes, I realize that its probably hard to look at the bright side of anything when you're eaten by a shadow monster, but somewhere in his stomach, I guess I found something to believe in.

However, in this case, I cannot find anything good. I cannot find anything to look forward to except for the end, and that is an entire week away.

Heaven forbid.

~ * ~

"You've got mail."

I raise an eyebrow as Jyounouchi-kun grins. Ever since we watched that American movie (completely not by choice, at least not mine. What happened was that Yuugi-kun and Anzu were always sneaking off… this was before they announced their relationship… and Jyounouchi-kun somehow managed to convince me to spy on them… he can be _very_ persuasive, after all. We ended up sitting through an entire movie, half watching the actors and half watching Yuugi-kun and Anzu make out. Jyounouchi-kun started laughing very loudly during the supposed sad scene of the movie, prompting Yuugi-kun and Anzu to look at us and myself to slink down into the seat as far as possible. Shortly afterwards, they announced what we had all been expecting, but not before giving Jyounouchi-kun a severe tongue-lashing and then some), Jyounouchi-kun has been saying that whenever I open my e-mail box and have some mail. Even if it is junk mail. He knows it annoys me endlessly. (It is my opinion that he is more sadistic than he lets on.)

"It's from Kaiba-kun," I say, a bit surprised. I didn't even know he knew my e-mail, for god's sake. And why would he be e-mailing me anyway?

Jyounouchi-kun growls softly before looking at me expectantly, "Well? Aren't you going to open it?"

"Um…" I reply, a bit flustered. I'd rather not, thank you.

"Probably wants to make sure you're not backing out, that guy," he grumbles, taking advantage of my momentary frozen state to take control of the mouse and click open the e-mail. Inwardly I sigh. My guess is that Jyounouchi-kun has never learned the concept of privacy, but then again, he is a very open person.

He whistles.

"Whew, Bakura, you have to go to all of these?"

"Huh?" I ask intelligently, staring at the e-mail. My eyes widen as I stare incredulously at the computer screen… oh Kami-sama, this just _cannot_ be happening! "What the?!"

"You're going to be busy this next week…" Jyounouchi-kun murmurs, scrolling down the fifty page e-mail or so. On it is a list of times, places, events, and so on and so forth. Meanwhile, I'm twenty seconds away from having a nervous breakdown; either Kaiba-kun was lying to me, or this is his definition of 'a few events'. If so, then I am truly afraid to see what his definition of 'a lot of events' is.

"I can't believe this…" the statement escaping from my lips sounds more like a whimper than anything else, and I can see that Jyounouchi-kun is ready to blow up again, "I have to go to _all_ of these? When am I supposed to have time to study?!" Note the hysterical edge starting to creep into my voice cause Jyounouchi-kun certainly isn't noticing.

"Um, Bakura?"

"Yes?" my voice is muffled due to the fact that my head is now buried in the pillow I had previously thrown at Jyounouchi-kun. Excuse me while I start whacking my head either with blunt, heavy objects or on blunt, heavy objects. If I can get a concussion, I am sure that I will be in no state to go to these events.

"You better go outside."

I groan before demanding, "WHY?!"

"Well, if this is correct, Kaiba is going to come pick you up in approximately… oh, three minutes?" Jyounouchi-kun points at some of the characters on the computer screen as I stare at him as if he's sprouting a pair of wings, "Apparently, you have an informal dinner party at 8:30."

Resisting the urge to start sobbing, I decide to suffocate myself instead. But nooooo, Jyounouchi-kun refuses to allow me to wallow in my self-pity, and he grabs me by the wrist and starts dragging me outside. I think now that I'm stuck doing this, he's trying to make me regret my decision, that evil person. My legs move as if they belong to a prisoner and are chained together… no, wait, that's exactly what I _feel_ like at the moment.

"Well, if it isn't the make inu," a voice smirks as soon as we get outside. I feel like throwing up.

Jyounouchi-kun gives Kaiba-kun a dirty glare, pushes in front of me (of course, standing there like a pillar of salt, I certainly don't mind), and sticks a finger in Kaiba-kun's face (and it's not even his middle finger, oh joy! Maybe this will work out! And maybe the sky will fall on my head!).

"You had better know what you're doing, Kaiba," he snarls, "Cause if you hurt him _at all_, I will personally kick your ass the next time I see you. Correct that, I will _hunt_ you down and then kick your as, got it?!"

"Thank you for the warning," Kaiba-kun replies sarcastically, "I will be sure to remember that, bonkotsu. [3]"

Bad move.

"That does it, I'm going to just kick your ass right here…"

"Jyounouchi-kun! Kaiba-kun!" I practically shriek. This has to be a nightmare or something along those lines, or maybe somebody just _really_ hates me. "Yamete! [4]"

Jyounouchi-kun stops mid-lunge, although he is still glaring hatefully at Kaiba-kun, who just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. He is probably wondering if I could get anymore pathetic, but I would rather not test that theory right now. Maybe some divine force will intervene and he will go ask Yami-kun instead. I really do think that he and Yami-kun are much better suited for each other… even if there will be a couple heated conversations between the two.

Luck does not hold. Then again, it never does for me.

"Let's go. I don't want to be late for this," Kaiba-kun mutters. Sighing softly, somewhat in relief but mainly in fear of anticipation, I follow him into the car.

More and more, I believe that I will eventually regret my decision. But it's a little too late for that…

Translations and Notes:

[1] Pathetic dog

[2] Magic & Wizards (M&W for short) is essentially Duel Monsters, except the manga name is different from the anime

[3] Mediocre, average; apparently he likes calling Jyounouchi that (he does it twice in like one page)

[4] Stop

For future reference, yadonushi means 'king's property' or 'king's home', which is what Yami Bakura calls Ryou. Also, for convenience's sake, I'm going to pretend Seto has a building in Tokyo close to the university, which would explain why he's able to get Ryou to do this. Also, this entire story will be written in Ryou's POV, which is new for me… ^_^ Hope it isn't too bad so far. Well, not much to say right now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, so I'm off to write the next one. :P This story is going a bit faster than my usual writing pace these days, which is good. I will break writer's block! BWAHAHAHAHA!

Yami: She's insane. Go figure.

Ryou: Let us all get down on our knees and pray for salvation…

Ryuuji: From PM? Heaven forbid…

PM: If it makes any of you feel better, I am considering writing a Lord of the Rings fic.

Legolas: NO! Damn it, why did I have to be so danged pretty?!

*VERY long silence*

PM: Not going to comment on that… er… comment. ^_^ Anyhow, thanks for reading… and for anybody who actually cares about me continuing my other fics… I promise to do it… someday… *whistles innocently* But I have a Shaman King fic calling my name… *kinda shoves Amidamaru and Yoh out of the screen* No, that wasn't the sound of screamed obscenities you just heard…

Pikachumaniac


	2. The First Disaster and Then Some

Disclaimer: Okay, maybe not only cute boys snuggling, but I still am going to get to that Red Eyes Black Dragon*Jyounouchi fic as soon as I can.

Fairydust

Keel (Tales of Eternia): Just out of curiosity, will the title ever make much sense?

PM: Err… Probably not.

*long silence*

PM *adding lamely*: I just liked it. *coughs* Anyhow, I discovered one of my mistakes but… too lazy to change it! --;; I discovered that Ryou-kun calls his father 'tousan' rather than 'otousan' (of course, I find this AFTER I wraked my manga collection trying to fiind just ONE part where he mentions his dad, and I skip over the ONLY part where he does! *grits teeth*). However, I don't like the sound of 'tousan' as much as 'otousan', so I'm just leaving it. Anyhow, I want to thank the reviewers:

Shamanic Guaridan Lena (arigatou for your reviews! :) And hurry with your fic! It's really getting good!), WriterOfYaoiFics (here, here!), rayemars (Ryou: PM HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR?!?!?! PM: What do you call this fic? Ryou: Torture!), Indigo Tantarian (Well, I figured that Ryou-kun and Jyounouchi were actually pretty good friends, so they should be okay together… at least, that's my justification for not sticking Jyounouchi in somebody else's dorm room, like Yuugi or Honda), Wildwolf (it was your Miss Congenality fic that inspired me to write this fluff… :P Arigatou), Mejiki (No Seto*Ryou? Wah, but it's such a cute coupling), Anubis (Yami Bakura isn't popping up for a while… and that's not to give a headache! Gomen! I might do a little, since I have some chapters which are dying in the process of writing…), juvi (arigatou… but don't drool on your keyboard! I've done it too many times, and my parents don't want to buy anymore! :P j/k), angelbird1224, yami no hikari, Queen of Games, and Sarina Fannel (*hugs Ryou and Seto* Very kawaii indeed ^_^). Thanks to all 13 of you, and I hope this chapter is up-to-par. :)

Enjoy!

~ The First Disaster… And Then Some ~

According to Merriam Webster's Pocket Dictionary, the definition of informal is:

1. Without formality or ceremony

2. For ordinary or familiar use

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think that a restaurant that I could never afford to even _sit _in… unless otousan sells our house… constitutes as 'informal'.

And when the people you're meeting are all wearing clothes that looks as if it cost a leg and arm to buy while you yourself is wearing something that looks more like it came out of a garage sale, it is a bit… well, demoralizing. Just a tad, of course, nothing more.

This, of course, will explain why everybody is staring at me as if Kaiba-kun has randomly dragged a junkie off the streets, otherwise known as me. I suppose that lamely explaining to them that actually, I came off a very nice college campus where I was studying only to suddenly discover that I had three minutes to prepare for this wouldn't really help matters much. But hey, that might just be me.

The man at the counter stares at me for a moment, probably debating whether or not to throw me out. I can feel my cheeks turning red, considering how everybody else is doing the same exact thing. Personally, I wouldn't really mind if they did that… heck, I'll welcome it! Instead, Kaiba-kun… who is as well-dressed as anybody else… confidently strides up to him and tells him he is meeting somebody.

Quickly the man becomes all smiles and happily leads him in, shooting me a warning look. I must look barbaric, he's probably wondering if I even know how to use a napkin and spoon. Maybe he thinks I'll try to order a hamburger or hot dog. Oh Kami-sama, somebody help me.

Kaiba-kun, who has this amazing ability to make sure I'm noticed yet at the same exact time completely ignore me himself, suddenly takes me by the arm and drags me into the restaurant. If my cheeks haven't lit up like Rudolph's red nose yet, they certainly have now. I feel as if I am being led into a torture room, except with very bright lights and expensive food.

It certainly doesn't help that he is being led to one of those private rooms, where each person has an individual waiter trained to wait on you hand and foot like a puppy dog (Jyounouchi-kun will kill me if he heard that). As the heavy oak doors close, ensnaring me in this gilded cage, my embarrassment is not at all lifted as I look at the two people already seated at the table. Both are staring at me as if I am a seal that escaped from the zoo.

"Seto," the girl asks softly, "Who is that?"

I will myself to die.

Kaiba-kun smiles, the gesture obviously causing him a great deal of pain, "Hello, Emi-chan." He bows slightly to the man sitting at the table. "Yoshizawa-san."

Yoshizawa-san, who I suppose is the man Kaiba-kun is dealing with, is dressed in clothes that manage to look extremely expensive yet extremely casual, all at the exact same time! He is tall and looks more like a friendly grandpa than a terrorizing fiend who will break the deal with Kaiba-kun as soon as he hears about his daughter breaking a nail. He has a smile that reminds me of otousan, welcoming and calming.

Yoshizawa Emi, on the other hand, is wearing a dress that is obviously expensive. It is a nice shade of blue, strapless and clingy, the top covered in sparkles. Her light brown hair is put up in a ponytail, bangs framing a pretty face. I feel more like a clumsy drunk than before…

Kaiba-kun, obviously giving up on me stringing together some intelligent words, decides to take matters in his own hands.

"This is Bakura Ryou," he introduces, and I am now composed enough to bow slightly, feeling like a china doll on display. A ragged, pathetic china doll.

"Business partner?" Yoshizawa-san questions, gesturing to the lapdogs… I mean, waiters, to seat us. As I am led to my seat, which is across from him (only two sides of the table are used, and so Kaiba-kun is seated next to me sitting across from Emi-san), I decide to study the china. It is very fascinating… very… um… white. Clean?

Emi-san is staring at me as if I am a nightmare coming to haunt her. I suppose I can't blame her, after all, the only reason why I'm here is to scare her off. Except she doesn't know that.

"Not exactly," Kaiba-kun's smile is very strained and fake. Very different from that smile he gave me when I snapped at him, and I can't help but think about how much more handsome he is when he smiles and actually means it. I wonder why he is still so stiff, Yoshizawa-san, at least, seems to be having the time of his life. But I don't suppose that the personality Kaiba-kun shows us is any different from the one he truly has, which is sad because it makes me wonder if he knows how to enjoy simple pleasures of life that don't involve dueling cards (his Blue-Eyes and God of Obelisk, to be specific), defeating Yami-kun, taunting Jyounouchi-kun, or coddling Mokuba.

"He is my koibito."

Emi-san's mouth drops, Yoshizawa-san stiffens, and I feel like burrowing a hole underground and living there as a hermit. Maybe the restaurant will be kind enough to drop food scraps for me to survive. Noticing that they are now staring at me, I look up through my messy hair. I didn't have time to brush it, heck, I was prepared to study all night before falling into a sleep that would make me resemble an ancient corpse. I can just see the question in their eyes… _why_? Why would Kaiba-kun pick somebody like me? 

Little do they know that I am actually asking the same question myself, and am in no way closer to getting an answer than they.

"Kon… Konban wa… Bakura-kun," Yoshizawa-san somehow manages to dispel his shock and smile at me. I keep my mouth shut, knowing that if I open it I'll either throw up or say something that will make me wish I was dead. Emi-san still hasn't said anything; she keeps staring at me as if I have broken her heart.

I guess I have.

I never really thought about the possibility that she might really like Kaiba-kun, not just trying to take advantage of him. The chance of that is slim, I suppose, but it is still there.

I nearly have a heart attack when Kaiba-kun suddenly takes my hand. I stare at him in absolute shock, my hands look so pale and delicate in comparison to his. His hand clasps around mine, and I can feel my cheeks burning.

"So… Seto… um… how long has this been going on?" Emi-san asks, now composed and staring down at me as everybody here has.

"A while," Kaiba-kun replies calmly, "Isn't that correct, Ryou?"

It takes me a moment to realize that he's talking to me. Forgive me for being shocked, but this is the first time he has called me Ryou. I realize dumbly that he really does plan on following through with this.

"Ha… ha… hai… Kaiba-kun," I say with the eloquence of a rock flying through a window. I quickly catch my mistake (who would call their koi by his or her last name and with a –kun?), and correct the destructive rock to a stereo playing very loud heavy metal music.

Emi-san's eyebrow raises, and Kaiba-kun glares at me. I wince and immediately go back to studying the silverware which is very… silver.

"I just never would have expected you to be gay, Kaiba," Yoshizawa-san states bluntly. I look at him, but there is no malice in his expression, just that same gentleness that otousan has.

Speaking of otousan, I wonder what his reaction would be. Unless Jyounouchi-kun told him too.

"It took me a while too," Kaiba-kun replies, but I cannot tell if he is joking or not. It is always hard to tell with him, and he just confuses me even more when he squeezes my hand. I really do feel sick.

Unfortunately, it's too late for me when the personal paid servant sticks the appetizer in front of me. This is the time where I point out that the slave is better dressed than I. Like, maybe a hundred times better. I feel like I should take the plate, gesture for him to sit, and then serve in his place. But even then I don't think I look good enough.

Kaiba-kun and Yoshizawa-san have struck up a conversation on the merger… deal… something… whatever it is, I don't understand it. I'm trying to major in environmental silence, not figure out electronics. The only thing I know about electronics is how to stick some batteries into a remote control and then use it. Wonder of all wonders, I can even turn on a computer! Meanwhile, Emi-san is picking at her food listlessly, often shooting me glances that is similar to how you glare at an annoying fly buzzing around your head.

I can't really blame her.

"… Seto…" the word sticks to my throat like the frog in the sandpaper… I've never called him that, and I never planned on doing that either.

He looks at me in a way I've never see him look at anybody. Kind of a mix of annoyance and… amusement?

"I can't eat if you're holding my hand," I say as softly as I can. Not softly enough, apparently, since Yoshizawa-san laughs loudly. Kaiba-kun stares at me for a moment, smiles gratefully, and lets go. My hand feels numb; he was gripping it so tightly. I smile thankfully and stare blankly at the appetizer, which I don't remember ordering… did I order anything? Anyhow, it looks a little bit like something you scraped off the bottom of somebody's shoe. For a place that is so expensive and for such rich people, it seems kinda… gross.

"So, Bakura-kun, how long have you known Kaiba?" Yoshizawa-san asks.

"Um… high school?" I venture. Honestly, Kaiba-kun should have drilled me before throwing me into this mess.

"Exactly how long have you been going out with Seto?" Emi-san throws in, looking at me with her brown eyes. The hurt is apparent in them. I ponder that question… what will be a good answer? Approximately… um… five hours? Well, that's certainly the truthful one!

"About a year," Kaiba-kun interjects smoothly. He probably overheard my thoughts or just knows that I am a terrible liar. Whichever one, I'm grateful for his intervention.

"You never told me," Emi-san glares.

"I saw no reason to."

"Now, Emi, Kaiba," Yoshizawa-san glares at both of them. Much to my surprise, they both fall silent, and he turns back to me, "That is a very interesting pendent, Bakura-kun."

"Otousan gave it to me," silently adding that he was also unwittingly handing over a psychotic other with it, but hey, who's complaining? "He's an archaeologist."

"He must be gone often." Err, where exactly is this conversation going?

"Hai… but he always manages to make up for it when he's at home, and he tries to get home as often as possible." Plus, when you have somebody living in your mind, who needs company?

"That's nice." I blink. Did I just miss something?

"Are you interested in joining the business with Kaiba?"

I can sense both Kaiba-kun and Emi-san watching us intently. Why is this happening to me? I was hoping for one of those dinners where they spend the entire time talking, ask how are the kids, and ignore me the entire time. It's uncomfortable being ignored, but I think I can prefer that to this. I mean, if I get so desperate for conversation, I'm sure Yami Bakura has come up with some insults to hurl at me.

"Iya. I don't do well in business."

"What do you study then? Where do you go?"

"Um… I'm studying about the environment at Tokyo University."

"It appears to me that you and Kaiba are quite opposite each other."

I stare.

He shrugs as the waiters, acting as one, whisk away the appetizer course, which I still haven't touched, "I think you'll be good for him."

~ * ~

"He thinks you'll be good for him?!"

Jyounouchi-kun, apparently intent on leading me through life by the hand, is shaking his head in disbelief. I shrug, feeling very out of character and snappish. I just want to sleep, forget what has happened during that disastrous dinner… disastrous afternoon too, and wake up to next week.

"Did he say why?"

"No," I more or less snarl, but Jyounouchi-kun ignores that, "He spent the rest of the time talking to Kaiba-kun about business. He asked me a couple more questions about otousan, but that was about it. Emi-san wouldn't talk to me at all, I think she hates me." I feel kind of bad, I don't like it when people hate me.

"Was she nice?"

"She was…" I wrinkle my nose as I try to think of a word for her, "okay…" I finish lamely.

"_Okay_?" Jyounouchi-kun repeats.

"She was pretty," I admit, "She didn't seem too bad. But she's probably mad at me."

Jyounouchi-kun rolls his eyes, "If she needs to be mad at somebody, I think she should be mad at that ass…"

"Jyounouchi-kun!"

He sighs and shakes his head, "It is true though. There is no reason to be mad at you, I don't think you could make anybody mad even if you tried."

I grinned impishly, "Except my Yami. And I don't need to try with him."

Jyounouchi-kun groans and shakes his head, a smile playing on his lips. "I can't believe I forgot about him. Well, maybe it's not _that_ unreasonable, as I have been trying to erase the memory from my mind of being a wooden figurine. Face it Bakura, it doesn't do that good for the ego being a game piece."

"At least you didn't die." I think about that for a moment. "Twice."

"Okay, okay, I give you that. The sad thing is that if I went around telling people that my friend died twice and is posing as Kaiba's boyfriend, they would probably lock me up and put me on drugs twenty-four seven."

"How could this have happened to me…" I groan, remembering exactly what had caused such embarrassment in the first place. I happily bury my head in the bed, "How did my life end up like this? Am I really this pathetic, Jyounouchi-kun?" I feel like wailing right about now.

"Um… Bakura-kun? Jyounouchi-kun? I think there's something you need to see…" we both turn towards the doorway to see Yuugi-kun, standing there in his star dotted pajamas and looking extremely nervous.

"Doushite [1] Yuugi-kun?"

There's surprised yells and curses coming from the hallway, but Yuugi-kun ignores it and silently walks over to the laptop. Clicking off my e-mail box, which is still there, he types a site quickly and pulls up an article. Honda-kun has run into the small room, quickly slamming the door behind him. I look at him in bewilderment as Jyounouchi-kun watches Yuugi-kun closely. Moments later, Otogi-kun joins us, and finally Anzu.

The last two look at me for a while, then both say at the same time, "You're gay?"

I blink back at them, "What?"

While Otogi-kun and Anzu are my friends, I was never as close to them as I was to Yuugi-kun and Jyounouchi-kun. Jyounouchi-kun would most likely tell Honda-kun, seeing that they are almost like brothers, but I can't see him telling anybody else… except maybe Kaiba-kun in a long rant, I guess. But that is also doubtful. Yuugi-kun is quite good at keeping a secret, and he would not tell Anzu without telling me first. He would probably wait for me to do it myself. So I blink at them, hoping that it is merely a random question rather than anything actual. Hope… 

Who am I kidding?

"That slime!" Jyounouchi-kun suddenly curses, along with some other profanities. I nearly fall off the bed to get a good view of the computer screen, and my eyes widen as soon as I see the title.

"You've made the news, Bakura-kun," Yuugi-kun tells me brightly.

The title of the article is called "Seto Kaiba's Love Life", including a picture taken at the entrance of the restaurant. For just the fiftieth time today, I try to kill myself. Somehow, I look even worse in the picture, in my well-worn clothes looking completely out of place in the glitzy restaurant. It must have been taken when we were leaving because Kaiba-kun is holding me close with a very distraught Emi-san behind him. I remember how jumpy I had felt with his arm around me… I mean, it had felt kind of nice, but also very wrong.

The article is long and involved. I read it and see some quotes from people I don't recognize, but they were probably the waiters. Oh Kami-sama, why me?! Didn't Kaiba-kun leave a big enough tip?!

"Today, one of Japan's most eligible bachelors, Seto Kaiba, owner of the multimillion company KaibaCorp, formally announced that he is no longer available. In fact, his female fans should just give up. The handsome 19-year old has proclaimed the most startling news. Not only has he found somebody, but that somebody is not even female," Otogi-kun reads over Yuugi-kun's shoulder. I bury my head into my pillow again; exactly _why_ is he reading this aloud? Is he trying to get revenge for my Yami helping Yuugi-kun beat him at DDD?

"Bakura Ryou, a freshmen at Tokyo University, has found himself in the arms of Kaiba, and a very lucky young man he is indeed. Kaiba is worth well into the millions, if not almost a billion dollars from his business in varieties of advanced technology. This aspiring student has apparently exceeded his most fantastic possibilities ever, much to the dismay of many young females in the country," Anzu continued for Otogi-kun, both of them staring at the article.

"Please no more…" I mumble into the pillow. Of course, they ignore me.

"The two met at Domino High School, although according to sources, they have been going out for a year," Yuugi-kun stops reading, probably to look at me. I shake my head and mutter, "Kaiba-kun."

"Um, don't look out the window you guys… but…" Honda-kun suddenly says, which of course causes them all to look out the window.

"Bakura! Can we get a statement from you?"

"How did you two meet? Where did you go out for your first date?"

"How long did it take you to figure out you loved him?"

"What attracts you to Seto Kaiba?"

"Comment? Do you have a comment for the paper?"

"How did they find me?!" I yell, backing away from the window and looking for a place to hide for the rest of my life that _doesn't_ involve moving to Antarctica.

"Bakuraaaaaaaaaaaaa-kun," there is a pounding on the door, "You never told us you were going out with Kaibaaaaaaaaaa. Tell us about it, onegai?"

"Here we are at Tokyo College, where above…"

"This is a lot of fuss over Kaiba getting a boyfriend, isn't it?" Honda-kun asks incredulously, quickly slamming the window shut and drawing the curtains.

"It's not everyday that you find out the most 'eligible bachelor' is gay," Yuugi-kun replies smartly.

"Yeah, when exactly did that happen anyway?" Jyounouchi-kun mumbles.

"Bakura?"

"Just tell me when it is over, Jyounouchi-kun."

"Bakura-kun, you can't hide from this forever," Otogi-kun reminds me simply.

I can bloody well try!!

Instead of venting my anger though, I just bite my lip so hard it starts to bleed. At this rate, the entire country of Japan is going to know about this… this is getting way out of hand! I really have to resist the urge to call Kaiba-kun and scream at him for a while. Did he anticipate this? Did he suspect? Couldn't he have warned me ahead of time? Why wasn't I intelligent to think about that myself?!

"Yeah, you have morning tea with him tomorrow," Anzu is looking at the schedule that Kaiba-kun oh-so-thoughtfully sent me. An engagement gift, no doubt.

Before I can reply, my cell phone starts to ring. I make no move for it, having no doubt that some reporter has managed to get my cell phone number as well. I certainly wouldn't be surprised, those people really are relentless.

After a moment, the ringing stops.

I sigh. Jyounouchi-kun really does need to work on the privacy thing.

"Kaiba, if this is you, I'm going to rip your guts out and feed it to some scared puppy dog that, I have no doubt, you tortured, and I'm not talking about myself so you better…" Jyounouchi-kun starts screaming into the phone, but Anzu quickly and quite wisely takes it from his grasp.

"Moshi moshi?"

"And if you're a reporter, stop stalking him!" Jyounouchi-kun grabs the phone again to screech those kind parting words, and Anzu wrenches it away from him again.

"You want to speak to Bakura-kun?" Anzu asks. After a couple moments of a one-sided conversation, as Anzu is only answering in quick one-word answers, she hands the phone to me. I look at her in confusion, and she fidgets nervously.

"Dare [2]?" I ask nervously.

"Ryou? Is that you?" otousan asks.

I feel my blood turn to ice.

"Ha… ha… hai…"

"We need to talk."

Help.

Translations:

[1] What is it?

[2] Who is it?

PM: Poor Ryou…

Yami: Poor Ryou? You're the one who's doing this to him.

PM: I'm allowed to feel some sympathy for him.

Jyou: Has it ever occurred to you that if you feel sympathy for him, you should stop torturing him?

PM: Um… no? Anyhow, sorry this chapter was short. I thought it was an okay place to stop.

Ryou: I BLOODY WELL DON'T! *in a suspicious English accent*

PM: Eww, you've been watching the dub, haven't you? I'm trying to convince my mom to let me buy the DVD subbed version, but she says later… --;; Doesn't matter that I'll pay for it myself *grumble grumble*

Pikachumaniac


	3. Tea For Two or More

Disclaimer: I own some manga, paying $5.10 for the majority of them. No wonder I'm broke. And hopefully soon I'll get the subbed DVDs… *pray, pray, pray*

Fairydust

PM: New chapter! Poor Ryou…

Lance: You don't feel sorry for him.

PM: You're right, I don't.

~ Tea for Two… or More ~

"O… otousan?" I clench the phone as if it is a poisonous snake ready to bite me, "Dou… doushite? It's… a little late to be calling… isn't it?"

"Well, I thought that to. But imagine my surprise when I turned on the television to watch a program on dental floss…" Dental floss?! "… only to discover that the news stations have all been infected with some virus that makes them show the same news over and over again."

"The dental floss was on the news?" Ignore the stares from your friends…

"No."

I sigh in relief. Maybe he's just calling at random… you know, to surprise me…

"But you were."

So much for surprises.

"Along with that Kaiba character," otousan continues, "I thought you didn't know him very well, but apparently you two have been dating for… what did they say, a year? Now, neither of us are stupid enough to believe that, are we? I know I'm not home that often, Ryou, but I'm sure that if you were dating some millionaire, you would have at least given your old man a head's up. Or I would have found out whether you liked it or not."

Unfortunately very true.

"O… otousan… I can explain…" Well, that's not exactly true, but what else am I supposed to say? Gomen, but I can't tell you? Most definitely not. Besides, I couldn't lie to save my soul, let alone lie to otousan.

"Is this going to be a long story?"

"… Are you mad?"

"Depends on what you have to tell me. But before you tell me your story, which I do not doubt will be extremely fascinating… Ryou, are you listening?"

"Yes otousan," I answer meekly.

"Ryou… you know I trust you…" guilt is currently eating up my insides, if that makes you feel any better, "Have you two… you know…"

"Huh?" I reply intelligently. What is he talking about?

There is a long sigh from the other end, I seem to be getting that a lot more often as of late.

"Ryou… you're a good kid. And you know I'm doing this because I don't want you to get hurt. But you and this Kaiba…" there is a pause, and then the next words come out in a sudden rush, like a waterfall threatening to sweep the entire world away in its maddening rush.

"You two haven't been having sex, have you?"

"Gah!" Jyounouchi-kun yells and falls on the ground, laughing hysterically. Remind me to put the volume down on the cell next time, but I don't suppose that would have prevented Jyounouchi-kun from listening since he practically had his ear pressed to the phone.

"NO!" I scream into the phone, flushed, as the others try to hush Jyounouchi-kun. After having a hyperventilation attack, I manage to calm myself down and answer more calmly, "No otousan… we haven't been doing anything like that." And we better not too! I don't care if Kaiba-kun begs me on his knees (although that would look interesting on tape), I don't think any amount of convincing will ever prove to me that he needs to have sex with his 'boyfriend' for the sake of his business.

"Doing what?" Yuugi-kun asks innocently, obviously as clueless as I was when otousan started to bring up the question. The others look confused as well, although I can see a hint of suspicion dawning in Honda-kun's eyes… humph, he _would_ know, wouldn't he?

_Luckily_ for me (note the sarcasm), Jyounouchi-kun decides to happily fill them in, saving me the effort but not sparing me of the humiliation which could have been _avoided_ if they hadn't known in the _first_ place.

"Having sex!" Jyounouchi-kun starts laughing again. That is, until I ask otousan to wait for a moment in order to dish out some much needed punishment when I whack the laughing blonde on the head with a very heavy textbook.

~ * ~

"Sleep well, Ryou?" Kaiba-kun greets me as I stumble out of his expensive car after catching some shut-eye in the dark confines. He eyes my disheveled appearance a bit apprehensively, no doubt wondering if maybe it would be a better idea to have asked Jyounouchi-kun to play loving boyfriend. At least he has the excuse of always looking a bit untidy. Anyhow, all I know at the current moment is that Kaiba-kun is going to be the death of me, he and his 'few' activities for the next week.

"Drop dead," I manage to happily croak back, feeling like a pathetic reject (oh wait, that's exactly what I am!). He doesn't seem to be listening because there is no response, not even his typical glare.

My temper is severely shortened by the fact that Kaiba-kun looks refreshed and relaxed, most likely helped by the wonders of a good night's rest. I, on the other hand, look as if I have just been tortured in all seven circles of Dante's hell at the _same_ time. I could probably fit the description of a ghoul, a specter, or a fallen angel, something that looks like it came out of Yami Bakura's _okaruto_ [1] deck. It seems impossible that I could look anymore pathetic than I did last night, but I have managed to do it quite nicely (no, that is not my idea of an accomplishment). It is good that I don't have any classes today… well, I don't think I do anyway. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. That schedule Kaiba-kun sent me is going to keep me on my toes for the rest of the week, I don't even know how I will have time to go to classes.

Luckily, I didn't mention that to otousan. Frankly, he was rather amused by the fact that I'm gay. He probably knew all along, but never said anything. Just like him to do that. But he wasn't that amused when I blurted out the whole story about Kaiba-kun wanting to get rid of Emi-san. After a long rant where I didn't do anything except meekly agree… after all, everything he said was indeed true… he started acting suspiciously like Jyounouchi-kun and demanded to know if I knew what I was doing because if I didn't, I should back out right then and there. Well, I personally thought it was a little too late to back out (didn't he think if I could that I would have as soon as I had gotten out of Emi-san and Yoshizawa-san's hearing range?), so I just said that I did indeed know what I was doing (as long as that was getting myself into a lot of crap).

Then, much to my embarrassment, he actually told me to put Jyounouchi-kun on the phone. Now Jyounouchi-kun is keeping an eye out on me as much as possible, and it had taken me nearly an hour to persuade him not to come to any of Kaiba-kun's events. I personally think that the only reason why he agreed was because he didn't want to see Kaiba-kun, but as long as he agreed, I don't really care why. Anyhow, that hour was another hour of lost sleep, hence my bad mood. And Kaiba-kun has the nerve to ask me if I slept well? If he doesn't watch it, I'm going to start mimicking my Yami and figure out how to trap his soul in a Magic and Wizards card.

I'm too tired to care as he takes my hand gently, leading me into the apartment building. Kaiba-kun, going to Tokyo University along with the rest of us, has had to make several new arrangements for the move. Although Mokuba remains in Domino (under the careful eye of several sitters and Yuugi's very pleasant ji-san, who was always fond of Kaiba-kun's otouto), Kaiba-kun has moved his headquarters to Tokyo. He goes home as often as possible though, to see to Mokuba. Personally, I don't think the move has done him too well, seeing how he has grown more distant than ever, but who am I to judge?

Kaiba-kun is silent as he half drags half carries me to the elevator, where a surprised bellman looks at me with a funny look on his face. I am getting really sick of these strange looks, but at the same time I am very tired so I just ignore it. Kaiba-kun actually notices my fatigue (gasp!), prompting him to allow me to lean against him in a very comfortable and familiar fashion. I can't help but smile sheepishly; it's like hugging a rumpled, oversized teddy bear. Even the knowledge that the only reason why he is doing this is for looks (after all, he can't play loving koi if he ignores his exhausted boyfriend) is not sufficient enough to wipe the complacent smile off my face.

Lucky for me, Kaiba-kun's apartment is at one of the highest levels of the building, and it isn't until he softly shakes me from my light doze that I realize we have arrived. Unsurprisingly, his is the only home on this level, so I'm guessing that he owns this entire level and perhaps more (I certainly wouldn't be surprised if that should be the case).

"Tea will just be for the two of us," Kaiba-kun says coolly as he types in the security code and opens the door. The light in his current home is blinding compared to the dim light of the elevator and hallway, and it takes me a while to blink away the bright pixies that were crowding my vision to see several _very_ familiar faces, and I'm certainly not talking about servants (most of them stayed behind to take care of Mokuba). There is Yoshizawa-san, Emi-san, and several other huge names in the technology industry, as well as their husbands, wives, and kids.

"… and company," Kaiba-kun finishes.

I resist the temptation to slap him.

"Ah, Kaiba! Bakura-kun!" Yoshizawa-san is no longer dressed in his casual-yet-extremely-expensive clothes. He, like everybody else, is dressed in the standard three-piece suit. I finally realize that Kaiba-kun is as well (well, my observation skills have gone to hell). Emi-san and the other women are wearing business suits as well, in a variety of styles, and once again I feel very incongruous and absurdly out of place. The polite chatter and conversation that had drifted around the room like a gentle rain cloud when we had first entered the room immediately stops, eyes traveling to the two of us. I feel like I'm being put on display in an alien zoo.

"This is Bakura Ryou," Kaiba-kun again introduces quickly, before waving them off like a king, "He will be joining us for morning tea. I'm sure you already know of him."

There is a general muttering of agreement, although there are some murmured questions and doubts. Kaiba-kun just ignores it all as gestures for me to sit on one of the ludicrously expensive couches, which I obey as if I was a lowly servant (hmm, then again…) and he my master. I start to panic as he seats himself dangerously close to me, his arm wrapped almost protectively around my shoulder. Honestly, can this get any worse? I have a feeling that it can, and that it will be getting worse as each day passes, and we're only starting on the first (I discovered that apparently, Kaiba-kun didn't count yesterday as part of the week)!

Handing me a cup of tea and a small plate with a variety of cookies and cakes on it (sure beats cafeteria food, I have to admit), Kaiba-kun proceeds to ignore me as he did last night. And he likes to silently accuse _me_ of giving us away? To keep myself from shaking my head darkly and to wake myself up, I take a small sip of the tea, and nearly jump off the couch from the taste.

Distracted by my sudden jolt, Kaiba-kun frowns at me, "Is there something wrong with it?"

I blush and quickly shake my head, declining to comment further. I don't know how to explain my shock, but instead of the usual teas that we drink in Japan, I was met with the sweet taste of raspberry. I know it sounds weird, but I didn't think Kaiba-kun could possibly know that raspberry is my favorite tea. I never really liked tea in general, to be truthful. But I discovered my liking for this particular type when we had a foreign exchange student from England (PM: *screeching at top of lungs* RYOU! IS! NOT! ENGLISH!). Among the many gifts he had brought for Otousan and I was a variety of tea, which is where I discovered my liking. Unfortunately, I don't get to drink it that often, but it's not that much of a loss or anything.

Anyhow, I highly doubt that he does know what my favorite tea is. That would be egocentric of me… imagining that the world revolved around me. What is more likely is that since Kaiba-kun sometimes needs to deal with international customers, he would have a supply of probably every conceivable type of tea somewhere in the kitchen. That sounds a bit more probable, rather than me believing that he somehow went through the effort to figure out what Ryou's favorite tea is, as if it was some type of unsolved mystery. Anyway, it's not like he would have been able to find out, unless he called otousan and asked him if I had any type of addiction when it came to those pestering tea leaves.

Why do I doubt that?

He gives me an appraising look with those turquoise eyes of his, as if to figure out whether or not I'm lying to him. Which I'm not, of course. The look lasts a lot longer than I would have liked, and I fidget restlessly. Kaiba-kun's conversation partners are also watching, although it's easier to figure out what they are thinking.

Kaiba-kun has returned to his conversation, now that he is sure that there is no need for him to pamper me. Everybody is talking to somebody, big groups or small twosomes talking about everything from money to lipstick to stocks to the infamous question of tampons versus tampax (okay, so I might be kidding about the last one there). Kaiba-kun's arm has entrapped me next to him, and I can't think of any polite way of asking him to remove it. Besides, it's not like that would accomplish anything. I don't exactly have anybody to talk to. Heck, I don't even personally know anybody, except Yoshizawa-kun, who is across the room and speaking to some very important-looking men; Emi-san, who is talking to some older women about an upcoming party (and shooting me glares when she thinks I am not looking); Kaiba-kun, who is engrossed his own conversation and completely ignoring me; and Yami Bakura, who wouldn't talk to me unless his life depended on it (and I mean that too!).

For a moment… or maybe much, much more than that, I really _do_ wish that Jyounouchi-kun had come. Even if he and Kaiba-kun ended up fighting as badly as he and Honda-kun does, I would have welcomed the conversation. Hesitantly taking another sip of tea and staring blankly at the carpet, I wonder what Jyounouchi-kun _would_ do if he was here. Well, knowing him, he would probably yell at Kaiba-kun for ignoring me. That accomplished, he would start a conversation with just about anybody. Although Jyounouchi-kun can be rash and short-tempered, he has a very good heart and I think people realize that quite quickly.

However, Jyounouchi-kun isn't here. He's probably snoozing away, using my pillow. I don't know why, but he likes to steal it. Kind of makes me regret ever sharing a dorm room with him, but at the moment, I would gladly give him the pillow, my blankets, and my soul for the rest of eternity if he could just be here.

To distract myself, I try to figure out what the others would do if they were here. Yuugi-kun would probably charm his way into everybody's hearts (he has a way of doing that), and everything would be fine. Yami-kun wouldn't give Kaiba-kun any reason to be annoyed or ignored, and everything would be fine. Honda-kun would probably find some way to weasel into the conversations, considering how knowledgeable he is in business, as that is what he plans to major in, and everything would be fine. Anzu would fit in nicely with the other women, and everything would be fine. Otogi-kun would definitely impress the ladies, even if he isn't interested in them romantically, and everything would be fine.

As for me, all I can do is sit here, staring blankly at the carpet as if it is the most fascinating thing on the planet, wishing that anybody but myself was here.

And everything would be fine.

~ * ~

I end up falling asleep and dreaming about dancing pink elephants who dance to the sound of walruses singing theme songs from animes, most specifically Cardcaptor Sakura. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with those songs, but when large, aquatic sea mammals are doing the singing… well, I'm sure you can fill in the rest of the picture. The dream was made worse when Jyounouchi-kun suddenly appeared wearing a puppy costume, only to be joined by Kaiba-kun dressed like a giant teddy bear, both of which started singing terribly off-tune to the opening song of Love Hina. Before Yuugi-kun, Yami-kun, Honda-kun, Anzu, Otogi-kun, and Mai-san could join them to do a can-can (no doubt wearing Las Vegas showgirl costumes, I am sure), I had the very happy experience of waking up to spare myself of the agony of figuring out exactly _what_ was the point of the dream. I am, though, very happy to report that there was not a single news camera. Not one.

As expected, nobody has noticed that I have dozed off. It is my good fortune that I don't snore, unlike Jyounouchi-kun who can be more distracting than a herd of those dancing pink elephants running around our dorm room, so I have not caused myself too much embarrassment (I hope). But if anybody should ever find out about that interesting dream, I'm sure that I will never be able to live with the humiliation.

That's when I notice that I fell asleep leaning against Kaiba-kun, my head (and not to mention the rest of my body!) leaning against him. His arm is relaxed around my formerly comatose body and… oh Kami-sama, why didn't I just wrap my arms around him in the process?! (Yes, I am being extremely sarcastic so don't say anything!)

I immediately gasp and sit up straight. Apparently, I wasn't as inconspicuous as I thought I was, as the half-drunk cup of tea and the untouched plate of cakes and the such have been whisked away, probably by some thoughtful servant who didn't want to have to vacuum and clean off tea stains. I hope Kaiba-kun pays these people a bit more than what he tipped the waiters, or I'll be hanging myself tonight when it makes the six o' clock news.

"Awake already?" Kaiba-kun asks softly, if a bit cynically. Normally, my hair would prevent me from feeling his breath, but for some reason, he has discovered some inexplicable need to play with it, exposing enough of my ear to feel its tickling sensation. That, of course, causes the blush to come back full force. I feel (and probably look) like a tomato.

"I thought you would sleep longer, considering how you told me to 'Drop dead' when I asked you how you slept last night," he's probably smirking, but I stare at a fascinating spot (that is also fascinatingly imaginary) on the wall in an attempt to ignore it, although my flaming cheeks probably give it all away.

"I… I… gomen…" I finally manage to get out, being very careful not to look at him still. Somebody hates me, somebody really hates me. That can be the only explanation for this… this… _mess_!!

"Feeling better?" his voice seems to have some gentle concern in it, causing me to finally look at him.

"Ye… ye… yeah…"

"Good," he replies cryptically.

If I was ever granted the knowledge of one mystery, I would want to know why Kaiba-kun acts the way he does. Why he's so confusing, one second distant and constantly annoyed, the next… caring. Sure, it's never that much, not the consistency of love he gives to his otouto, but every time it seems to be growing. But then he shuts the lid again, as if to care about somebody other than his brother is to open a Pandora's box of misery that will cause him a great deal of pain.

Is that what he thinks of me? That if he's careless, if he shows me a little more than what he was planning to show, he'll lose a part of himself? It's almost as if _he_ is the one taken by surprise at how this ploy is turning out, that it's going to take a little more than what he is willing to show the world to successfully pretend he has a lover.

I can't really tell, nor am I of the ability to judge. This is his life, and I am merely a temporary intruder that is a current necessary evil. It's depressing if you ask me, but I doubt that it makes much of a difference. Frankly, I don't think I ever make much of a difference when it comes to these types of things. The most I've done was save my friends from getting killed by Yami Bakura, intelligently getting me killed in the process as well…

I'm digressing.

I'm brought back to reality mainly because he's _still_ playing with my hair, something that makes me incredibly uncomfortable in that it feels rather pleasant. Demo, I'm probably just getting a little too into this. In a week, it will be over, and we'll go back to our own lives, for better or for worse. My heart is beating frantically as he runs his hand through my hair; is this really necessary to his plan? The conversations seem so distant now, mainly due to the beating drum in my chest and a distant roaring in my head that can't be anything but the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"It's almost eleven," he suddenly murmurs. It takes a wild minute of wracking my brains to figure out exactly what he is implying. Eleven is when the tea 'for two' ends, and Jyounouchi-kun has sternly ordered the driver that he bring me back by eleven-fifteen on the dot or he'll be doing some butt kicking. Even after I silently congratulate myself for figuring out what the significance of eleven o' clock is, I have yet to figure out what _Kaiba-kun_ is trying to say, which is definitely more important than what Jyounouchi-kun threatened (kinda). And since I haven't figured it out, there is no way in heaven or hell that I can come up with a vaguely intelligent answer.

"Um…"

He rolls his eyes, suddenly becoming a lot more like the Kaiba-kun that I have known since I first transferred to Domino High School. Which is not necessarily a good thing, mind you, but at least it does make him a little bit more predictable. I have had enough of impredictability (is that a word?) with Yami Bakura.

Kaiba-kun shakes his head, obviously frustrated and unwilling to explain what he was talking about to my tiny brain. He turns away to call for some of the hired help while I look ashamedly at my shoes.

What I wouldn't give for some fairydust right now. And no, I'm not talking about that sparkly stuff that Yami Bakura used to tick off Honda-kun. Anyhow, that damned stuff was so expensive, as shown by my credit card bill. What do people see in that kind of stuff anyway? Then again, what does anybody see in anything? There is so much in this world that seems pointless, yet it is always important to somebody in some way.

"Seto-kun…" I note with interest that Emi-san no longer calls Kaiba-kun without any honorific or the such, "Seto-kun, why don't you and Bakura-kun talk to anybody? You two didn't even talk to each other, and breakfast is almost over."

Kaiba-kun raises an eyebrow, probably trying to decipher what she is trying to say. As for me, I have _no_ idea what she is trying to say. Currently, it just sounds like… gibberish. Even Honda-kun makes more sense when he's ranting… although that might be because we have all learned to cope with his insanity.

"What are you trying to say, Emi-chan?"

She fiddles with her necklace, which is rather pretty. There are two different sized stars dangling from the delicate silver chain, and she's holding it as if her life is at stake. Although when talking to Kaiba-kun, I noticed that your life being silently threatened is exactly the sensation that I get.

"Aren't you two ever going to kiss?" she asks bluntly.

I resist the urge to mimic Jyounouchi-kun by yelling "gah!" and collapsing on the ground. Instead, I do something equally impressive.

I choke.

That, of course, only causes me to have a coughing fit. Kaiba-kun rolls his eyes and starts rubbing my back as my eyes water and I keep coughing. Emi-san has run off, probably to call 9-1-1 or a florist, I'm not exactly sure which, and everybody else just stares as Kaiba-kun tries to keep me from dying. Well, that would look beautiful on the headlines. Seto Kaiba's koibito dies from coughing fit in front of company, details on page B13. That wouldn't really look too good for Kaiba-kun, which might be why he's being gentle in his attempts to cure me before I pass out. Oh god, why me? Why, why, why, _WHY?!_ What an embarrassing and humiliating way to die, does somebody just _hate_ me or something? That must be the explanation.

I'm certainly not hanging for dear life off the cliff of life overlooking the pit of death, but I certainly do feel like it! Sooner or later, if I don't stop, I'm sure I'll be coughing up blood, wouldn't that be great?

Sooner then later, thankfully, Kaiba-kun's efforts are starting to take some effect as I feel the need to hack up my lungs slowly quell. The feeling is still there, an itch in my throat, but I no longer am coughing every second. No, it's been lessened to once every thirty seconds, my aren't I lucky?

Then Kaiba-kun comes up with a brilliant, sure-fire way to cure the coughing. I just wish he could have run it by me before he decided to do so, but I guess we can't have everything we want in life, even if it means preventing heart-wrenching humiliation. Or maybe he just figured that all the crap that has happened to me in the past twenty-four hours is enough humiliation to keep me occupied for a lifetime, so he couldn't possibly be adding that much more.

As soon as my coughing subsides slightly, and I'm not coughing like a maniac or wannabe drowning victim, Kaiba-kun takes me by the chin, peering down at me as if I am his worst nightmares come true. In response, I stare back into his eyes and cough softly, pain clearly evident in my own eyes.

Later, I told myself that I would give up my soul to the devil if I could have known what Kaiba-kun's thoughts were right before he administered his remedy.

But at that moment, I had no warning as I looked into his eyes. And it wasn't until after he had leaned closer and pressed his lips against mine, hands no longer supporting my back but now gripping my shoulders as if he was the one hanging on for dear life that I realized what he was doing.

He's kissing me.

I gasp into his mouth but somehow retain enough of my intelligence not to struggle against his kiss, but it takes a great deal of self-control to do just that. My mind's screaming (not to mention the fact that _I_ want to start screaming too), and I don't know if I should listen to that or the relentless pounding of my heart as Kaiba-kun somehow manages to deepen the kiss.

I'm not the only one gasping. As if she is in the distant, I hear the drop of fine china onto the ground and a soft gasp from Emi-san (I think… I couldn't really turn around to confirm).

This is my first kiss, and I never expected it to feel so… weird. It's not bad, but it's just… weird. Maybe it would have been different if it was somebody who actually loved me, not play-acting, but still. Kaiba-kun's lips are soft, and he manages to be gentle while dominant, making sure I know exactly who is in charge. Which is fine because obviously, I have had no experience in this whatsoever. Kaiba-kun, on the other hand, seems to know exactly what he's doing… but the way his grip tightens on my shoulders until the pressure is almost unbearable makes me want to rethink that statement. It has never occurred to me that Kaiba-kun might be just as nervous as I am, considering how he always seems to be relaxed and in control of his emotions. While as for me, I'm always _being_ the one controlled, so now it appears that I have trouble thinking for myself when it comes down to it. Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh on myself, but…

My thought process is sharply cut short when Kaiba-kun pulls away, staring at me. I just stare back, although thankful I don't feel like coughing anymore.

I feel something almost like regret.

Somebody coughs, throwing the two of us back to bittersweet reality. I don't know who coughed, but the first person who catches my attention is Emi-san, who is standing behind a dropped cup, its liquid contents already starting to stain the carpet. Every single person in the room is staring at us as if there is no tomorrow, and if somebody doesn't do something, they'll be frozen in this position until next Thursday.

Kaiba-kun clears his throat, and everybody jumps back to reality. It's kind like pressing the play button a screen that has been paused… hmm, giving a new definition to real-life TV at the same time. He looks at me, then, probably horrified by my appearance, turns back to the rest of the company.

"Ryou, isn't it time for you to go?"

It's 10:45, but I don't think neither of us care anymore. I nod as quickly as possible, probably as eager as him to get out of this place.

"But Kaiba, it's only 10:45. Some reason you're rushing him of like that?" Yoshizawa-san asks in a booming voice, although nobody else speaks or seems to care.

"I have class." My lie escapes my lips quite easily. Otousan will scream when he finds out (note the 'when', not 'if' because I know that somehow, he _will_ manage to find out… he _always_ does), but as for me, myself, and I, I would like nothing more than to escape.

He nods in grudging acceptance, making this basically my one and only believable lie that didn't involve Yami Bakura taking over my body. Congratulations to me, let's throw a party. No, wait, that's not until Sunday. It doesn't matter though, Kaiba-kun is already getting up, and I mechanically do the same. With a polite farewell, he makes his way for the front door, me following him like a puppy.

Maybe Kaiba-kun should rethink calling Jyounouchi-kun a make inu because it seems to me that if there is anybody who fits the description of pathetic, it's the person who's following him.

Me.

Translations:

[1] The theme of Yami Bakura's deck. It isn't exactly ghosts, like Ghost Kotsuzuka's (Bonez in dub) cards. I guess it's like the darker aspects of the spiritual world… fate and destiny and the such. It's not a very pretty deck, so let's just leave it at that.

PM: Eep! The first kiss! *fidgits* So what's going to happen now with the two cuties? *wrings hands* Aiya… getting nervous here!

Ryuuji: But you're the one writing the fic!!

PM: Um… is that supposed to mean something?

Yami: We're screwed.

PM: Anyhow, on to the more intelligent ending notes! (No, I'm not talking about the end of the story author notes, although that is tempting since I think this story is the result of too many sodas, I'm talking about the end of the chapter notes!) Originally, this chapter was longer, but I later read it over again and decided that the last scene ending wasn't as good as the scene before, so I moved that scene to the beginning of the next chapter *shrugs*. I know it's weird that I'm telling you this, since I guess it wouldn't make a difference, but I just wanted to tell you… it's about time these author notes had some time of substance in them. Oh, and I wanted to point out that I don't call Mokuba or Ryou's father right. He actually calls them 'Mokuba-kun' and 'tousan'. -_-;;; I didn't figure this out until I was well into this fic, and a hissy fit resulted in my deciding (rather arrogantly, perhaps), that if I could live with these mistakes, everybody else should. *sulks* Also, I realize that Ryou isn't going to be calling Yami no Yuugi 'Yami-kun', but just work with me on this fic… I didn't want to confuse people, and besides, this _is_ a future fic so who knows what could have happened! ^_^

Pikachumaniac


	4. A Word or Two of Advice

Disclaimer: If I owned the manga/show, I wouldn't have allowed the names to get so screwed up in the dub.

Fairydust

PM: I decided that it might be a good idea to attach a day to this. The first and second chapter was Monday, so the previous chapter was Monday night and Tuesday morning and this chapter is Tuesday afternoon. This story will be pretty long… Currently, I have written 32 pages for 6 parts (I realize this is only part 4, but I like to stay a couple parts ahead). Hope it's okay so far ^_~.

Ryou: I don't think it's okay. I think it's horrible!

PM: Ryou, think about it this way. The more effort I expend into this fic, the less effort I have to work on those _other_ fics that you've been griping about *gives him meaningful look*.

Ryou: I hate you…

PM: Oh pishaw.

~ Thanks (I forgot to do this last chapter! SORRY!) to Sarina Fannel, Lady Geuna (Seto feel something for Ryou? We'll see!), Sylvia (I have no idea where I come up with these things, to be truthful… maybe it's just boredom… or too many sodas ^_~), saki (thank god… Ryou isn't English, Ryou isn't English *dances*), Shamanic Guardian Lena (loved your fic), juvi (^_^ Thank you so much… I hope this chapter doesn't dissapoint you), Indigo Tantarian (would you believe that I've written over 36 pages so far?), Tikira (Jyou: I don't think PM's other fics are funny… PM: That's cause you die in them), The Evil Laugh (I love Ryou… ;_;), Mejika (Yue: Patience is a virtue… PM *sees him liplocking with Touya*: Not one you possess), MH (I guess my angst skills are still running amuck), Wildwolf (thanks SO much for the e-mail!), and incoherant (I can create a plot! Wah ha!). And of course, to Ruri-chan, who convinced me to post this chapter up a day early! ^_~ Go thank her everyone! And of course, as always, to my brilliant beta-reader, Mariel.

~ A Word (or Two) of Advice ~

"He kissed you."

The words are said not accusingly, not angrily, but in a resigned tone of voice. Jyounouchi-kun shakes his head and falls back onto the bed, staring at the white plaster ceiling, as if there is a hidden connotation behind those words.

As expected, I told Jyounouchi-kun everything… except the dream, of course! Even I'm not that idiotic. He didn't say anything while I told the story, just watching me warily. Not even when I told him that Emi-san had asked if we were going to kiss and I started coughing, not even when I told him that Kaiba-kun kissed me before sending me off on my merry way. He just sat there, shaking his head as the story progressed.

Now, story completed, he decides to state the obvious.

I wince and nod, although he cannot see me. He takes in a deep breath, brown eyes still gazing at the ceiling as if in a trance. Perhaps he is speaking to my father telepathically to figure out how to punish me. Maybe he'll ground me. Oh, I would be so grateful if that happened…

"I didn't think it was possible you would fall in love with him."

For the second time that day, I choke, this time spitting out the soda I was drinking and getting it over the rough draft of my term paper that I was editing. I barely notice as I scream, "WHAT?!"

Jyounouchi-kun shrugs, still not bothering to glance at me, "Well? What were you two doing?"

"It was a kiss," I snap, feeling a bit of pain at his words, "It was _acting_." I spit the word out as easily as I just spat the soda on my essay, but this time it hurts a lot more. And I don't even know why! It's not like I was expecting anything out of this… heck, I still don't know why I agreed to do this! It certainly wasn't because I was expecting a fantasy ending and having Kaiba-kun fall madly in love with me… my life isn't exactly like that (although I guess surviving dying twice is already a bit of a fantastical concept).

"Did you want something more?"

"Pardon?"

"I don't think it was just a kiss," he replies seriously. I just let out a bark of derisive laughter, shaking my head as I crumple up my ruined paper and throw it into the garbage.

"You're getting too into this. You're getting more into this than either Kaiba-kun or myself," I reply heatedly.

"Yeah? So why do you look like you want to cry?" Jyounouchi-kun flings back, "If it's over in a week, it's over. What happens then? Have you ever thought about that? I doubt he ever will."

My mouth snaps shut and I turn away from his piercing look (now he decides to look at me). No wonder otousan wanted him to look after me, as if I was still a mere child who needed to be taken by the hand and told to look both ways before I crossed the street.

But then again, if I had done just that, I wouldn't be in this situation.

~ * ~

"It could have been worse."

I eye Otogi-kun with a skeptical eye before demanding in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, "HOW?!"

He shrugs and takes a moment to take a bite from his lunch and chew, green eyes thoughtful as he probably rethinks that statement. I'm still in awe of the mere possibility of something worse happening that what had already happened. I pick at my food, dreading the countdown to when I next have to see Kaiba-kun.

I was greatly surprised when Otogi-kun asked if I wanted to join him for lunch. Since the others all have classes, and my term paper is sufficiently ruined that I don't care much for reading it over again, I accepted. Besides, I had never been as close to Otogi-kun as much as the others, so I guess it was nice of him to ask. The problem with Otogi-kun though, is that his eyes are very similar to Yami-kun and Kaiba-kun's eyes… although he might not be saying anything, those eyes just continuously question you until you finally just tell him everything. (Jyounouchi-kun told me once that Otogi-kun's eyes, which are cat-like, are _very_ similar to Yami Bakura's eyes… *shiver*) Which, of course, would explain why I ended up telling him everything about what happened at Kaiba-kun's tea party… with the exception of the dream, of course!

"Jyounouchi could have been there," he finally decides on.

I ponder that. He could be right… I can just imagine Jyounouchi-kun trying to strangle Kaiba-kun after the kiss. But then again, if Jyounouchi-kun had been there, that incident might never had occurred. In which case, Jyounouchi-kun's presence would be much desired, rather than the other way around.

I decline to share my views with Otogi-kun, instead settling on shrugging and mumbling something inaudible. Unfortunately, Otogi-kun isn't done delving into the possibilities of what could have made the situation worse.

"He could have made you stay longer so everybody could stare at you, he could have pushed you away…" Um, excuse me, but isn't that exactly what he did?! I start tuning out Otogi-kun as he continues to ramble. It's kinda funny… there are people watching us… wouldn't it be funny if they thought I was 'cheating' on Kaiba-kun with Otogi-kun? I doubt Jyounouchi-kun would find it funny at all, and Honda-kun will definitely try to murder me. Seriously, seriously hoping the gossip columns don't get a whiff of this. I don't know how I would be able to explain to otousan anymore…

"He could have given you a hickey."

I gasp and nearly fall off my seat. Tell me he was kidding! I finally manage to gasp out, "WHAT?!" Okay, so 'scream out' might have been a bit more accurate, but I guess gasping wasn't too far off considering how I was experiencing quite a bit of difficulty in the delightful art of breathing.

"Dai… daijoubu Bakura-kun?" Otogi-kun is staring at me with some doubt (of my sanity, I am sure) in his eyes, before innocently asking, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No… of course not…" I grit out. Now I know for sure that he is getting revenge on me for the DDD [1] incident.

"I didn't say it would happen… but it definitely would have been worse, don't you think?"

I close my eyes and try to imagine _that…_ Kaiba-kun giving me a hickey in front of all those people… and then coming home only to have Jyounouchi-kun discover that… No matter how hard I try to think of something, there is absolutely _nothing_ good that could possibly come out of that situation. Still, the knowledge that it really _could_ have been worse doesn't help placate my annoyance at Otogi-kun for bringing it up in the first place.

"Did you ask me to lunch for this?" I ask, very much annoyed. I had been hoping to get away from this topic tonight, but it looks like I'm not going to be that lucky.

"No… of course not…" Otogi-kun looks slightly sheepish, which I suppose is just his way of apologizing considering how he usually doesn't look anything besides smug and confident, "How's Honda?"

"Hysterical… (and I'm not talking about funny haha hysterical. I'm talking about _insane_ hysterical!)" I mutter before giving him an innocent look, "Um… why?"

He turns a bit red (if a bit red is something like Kaiba-kun's definition of 'a few events', which I doubt) as he shrugs, trying to look nonchalant (Ha! He thinks he can fool me after all I've been stuck doing nothing but study Kaiba-kun's emotions? Forget it!), "Well… he's been avoiding me lately."

Hmm, let me guess! This 'lately' started since the end of last school year, am I correct? Instead of voicing my thoughts though, I end up biting my tongue and nod slightly, "Did you want me to talk to him, Otogi-kun?" I'm going to assume that is why you wanted to talk to me…

"No…" he shrugs quickly, "I've just been wondering how he's been." Of course, I will not mention that he sees Honda-kun at our get-togethers on the weekend, or the fact that he does live in the same dorm as us all and could easily walk over to see him… wait, what am I saying? Why am I even thinking of such things? This morning and last night must have been effecting me more than I suspected. Instantly, I feel ashamed for even _thinking_ those thoughts, thank god I didn't actually voice them!

"Otogi-kun…" He glances over at me sharply as I softly stammer (regretting opening my big mouth every second), "Why… why didn't you tell Honda-kun how you felt about him the night he told you? Or now? We know that you two can have something more, and that both of you would be happy in that relationship… sometimes it seems that the only people who don't know that are you and Honda-kun…"

I gulp and resist the urge to run away as he glares at me. After a moment of silent glowering, he finally just shakes his head, "I can't tell him now."

"Why not?"

"He probably hates me," he shrugs. I can only stare at him… if I was saying what he is saying about the person I was madly in love with, I certainly wouldn't just shrug it off. I guess it's just another reminder how different we are from each other, but that certainly isn't anything new.

"Is that why he comes running into our rooms saying Yami-kun and you were getting it on?" I grin slightly, which causes him to smile, "Ah, I can still remember Honda-kun's face…"

"He really did that, did he?" Otogi-kun shakes his head, "I don't know what I would do if I found Yami-kun and him making out…"

"Just don't mention it, cause even if it was true, Yami-kun would be threatening your life," I tell him, and if you think I'm joking, think again!

"I'd probably think I was on drugs and get a doctor."

"That would sound great, Otogi-kun. Hi, I saw the guy I'm in love with who already confessed to me but since I didn't know what to say I just walked out… anyhow he was with this other guy and they were making out with each other. Oh yeah, did I mention that the other guy isn't really a guy, but a 5,000 year old spirit who lives in a pendent? What? What heavy drugs have I been taking recently?" (PM's note: I know Ryou seems a bit OOC, but hey, he _has_ to grow up _sometime_, doesn't he?! -_-;;)

"I'd rather confess," Otogi-kun snorts.

"So why didn't you?"

"I…" For once Otogi-kun is at a loss for words in my presence! I mean, I know he was tongue-tied in front of Honda-kun, and I think his defeat to Yuugi at DDD caused him temporary speaking loss, but other than that, I never knew of him getting this nervous or confused or whatever, "I… I… couldn't."

There was silence as we slowly contemplated each other, each waiting for the other to be the first to speak. But if there was one thing I was good at, it was patience, so it wasn't too surprising that he was the first to break. He gave me one of his looks, which I just smile at.

"Bakura-kun… if Kaiba suddenly told you that he loved you, what would you do?"

Now I'm the one caught off guard, openly gaping at him, "I… I… um…" I scowled and glared at his smirk, "That's not fair, Otogi-kun. First of all, you're talking about a situation that will _never_ ever happen. There is just no chance that _Seto Kaiba_ is going to tell me that. None. Besides, I don't even think I like him! And even if I did decide I like him… wipe that grin off your face, cause I _don't_!"

"Yeah. Sureeeeee…"

"Otogi-kun! That's not fair!"

He just grins back at me, "You're telling me to be fair?"

I groan… that would be a sure-fire way to hell… "No… of course not. Even I'm not foolish enough to do that. But you aren't being fair, in either conversation! Even if Kaiba-kun suddenly took a combination of drugs that made him think he liked me, it would be too quick! I wouldn't know what to say!"

"I'm sure your Yami would…"

"I'm sure he would too…"

_I heard that yadonushi. Don't tempt me._

I wince, shaking my head at Otogi-kun's questioning look. He winces and nods, probably figuring out quite quickly what I was wincing about, as he also had a fateful run-in with Yami Bakura, so I quickly return to the subject at hand, "Otogi-kun… are you telling me that Honda-kun confessing went too fast?" Now that is weird.

"Not too fast, I guess. But it was unexpected… I certainly wasn't ready for it at least," he smiles slightly, "It's just… well, one second I was still imagining it. The next… I wasn't imagining it, but it didn't feel real either."

Then he tells me the last thing I expect to hear, the last thing I probably want to hear. But I certainly will never be able to forget it, whether that is for better or for worse.

"Bakura-kun… if Kaiba should tell you what Honda told me… and I know you think that is very unlikely but I don't think it as unlikely as you think… anyhow, if he should, you should try your best not to screw it up.

"Cause you'll hate yourself when the opportunity passes and you're still dreaming."

~ * ~

Given any other situation, I would have enjoyed a tour of a museum about archaeology and natural history, considering how my dad is interested in the first and I the second. A brand new museum that was being privately previewed by some of Japan's elite, I would have welcomed the chance given any other circumstances. Although otousan sometimes is invited to these types of events, his family isn't always. Even now that okaasan and oniisan are living apart from us, otousan still can't manage to sneak another pass for his youngest son.

(PM's note: Okay, I know this sounds REALLY weird, but Ryou DOES have an older brother. I know this sounds demented and you probably don't believe me, but in the manga volume 6 before Yami Bakura makes his first appearance, Ryou is writing a letter, and he mentions his father, mother, and older brother… I got clarification from my Japanese friend and she agrees. O.O;;)

Now, ironies upon ironies, Kaiba-kun and I, along with some familiar faces from this morning's disaster… I mean, tea for 'two'… we're listening to a tour guide speak of an artifact found in ancient China, during one of the high points of the Ming Dynasty. It's a jar with a delicate design of phoenixes and other mythical creatures decorating it, and you will never guess what legends say about it.

"This jar, known as the _shin-ai_, is an artifact from a Chinese legend of the enchanted fairydust. Working similarly to Greek and Roman myths of Cupid, fairydust was said to come off the wings of magical butterflies (butterflies, for god's sake!) who were often mistaken for fairies because of their brightly colored wings that sparkled with the colors of the rainbow. However, instead of causing the chaos intended by Cupid's arrows, fairydust was used to force somebody to confess their truest desires to the person that they loved… or in the case of the purely materialistic that didn't have time for commitments like love, to objects. Most commonly, it was used to determine who the person loved."

See what I mean? Pure irony.

"_Shin-ai_swere jars that were said to contain the mystical fairydust. They were small because very little fairydust was needed to use its magic, and it was to be used only once. Fairydust was not to be sold because it was said that the dust would lose its magic if given up for selfish needs, so merchants came up with the _shin-ai_. By claiming that the jar was being sold, and not the fairydust within, merchants hoped that it would create demand.

"Of course, it never did. Most _shin-ai_s were lost, and fairydust became a myth that wasn't to be exploited any longer."

Since I already know this story forwards and backwards, seeing that its one of otousan's favorites (favorites as in he likes to use it to tease me about why I haven't found a koi yet, asking me if I need some fairydust so I would confess), and instead take to watching the group reaction. Most are riveted by the story, while others look bored, fingering their cell phones as if their fingers are itching to make that important phone call. Kaiba-kun appears to be one of them, rolling his eyes every once in a while and muttering something about how corny fairytales are.

It's moments like this that I know that Otogi-kun's (and I guess Jyounouchi-kun's as well, considering how oddly he was acting when I got back to college and he found out about the kiss) supposed situation will never come true. Kaiba-kun barely has time for Mokuba, let alone a romantic relationship. Besides, I doubt he is interested in pursuing one. After all, romance is something to be scoffed at until one experiences the delightful brand of passion that appears purely in fairytales, romance novels, and mythology, rather than real life.

And since most of us will never experience that type of love, some will keep dreaming for the rest of their days while the rest will hide it in the deepest corners of their soul, never to be touched again.

~ * ~

"Ryou-kun! What are you doing here? I didn't know your otousan had an exhibit here!"

Kaiba-kun winces as his grip on my arm tightens considerably, but I can't help but smile. Izumi Koushiro is one of otousan's close friends (PM *screeches like a banshee as she runs away from angry fans* I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But I didn't want to make up anymore characters!), and they've known each other since college. Koushiro-san works on computers, and he works odd jobs in a variety of places mainly because he's always moving around with his koi. Otousan will be delighted to know that Koushiro-san is here, as they haven't seen each other in a while.

"He doesn't," I smile as he approaches. Koushiro-san is rather short, as both Kaiba-kun and I are taller than him, and his red hair is always a complete mess compared to the rest of his appearance (Course, it's not as bad as his koi's, whose hair is something out of a horror film), "He just came home for a breather. His excuse was that he wanted some decent Japanese food."

"Hmm, at least his appetite isn't like Taichi's, or the entire country would have been eaten out of house and home," Koushiro-san grins, "So you're here on a date or something?"

Both Kaiba-kun and I blink at him, and he laughs lightly, "I watch the news." He shakes his head and sighs, massaging his temples, "Taichi thinks of it as an excuse to use me as a pillow."

The pressure of Kaiba-kun's grip on my arm is becoming a bit unbearable, quickly sending me back to reality… "Kai…" Mistake… "Seto, this is Izumi Koushiro. He's one of otousan's friends."

I breath a sigh of relief as he lets go of my arm to shake Koushiro-san's hand, no longer looking too worried. I don't bother to introduce Koushiro-san to Kaiba-kun, seeing that he probably knows who he is anyway, as Koushiro-san is an expert in computers.

"It's nice to meet you, Izumi," Kaiba-kun says a bit stiffly, if I may point out.

Koushiro-san wisely ignores the strained tone, "You too, Kaiba-kun. Your company has been introducing some prodigious innovations to the market; I've found them quite useful considering all the moving around Taichi has to do."

"Thank you," Kaiba-kun doesn't sound as strained anymore, at least.

"What are you doing here, Koushiro-san?" I just have to ask. Last I heard, there weren't any major soccer events happening in Tokyo or even the vicinity.

"The museum somehow managed to get a hold of me and asked me to do some touch-up work on their computers. Since there aren't any major events coming up, I thought it would be worth the trip to come down here and go by Domino later to meet your otousan," Koushiro-san shrugs, "I haven't seen him or you for a while. He never told me that you were attending Tokyo University."

"How did you know?" Dumb question, I realize as soon as I let the words out, but Koushiro-san is nice enough not to make me feel that way, instead answering my question.

"The news. It's been blaring everywhere. Seeing that one of my friend's son is on the news, I skipped a program on the creation of dental floss."

What is it with dental floss?! I bite my lip to keep from screaming out that question, and Kaiba-kun is staring at Koushiro-san as if he has just had a little green alien pop out of his stomach.

"Oi! Kou-channnnnnnnnnn."

Koushiro-san rolls his eyes and mumbles something that sounds a lot like, "Why me?" as our attention turns to the energetic soccer player making his way towards us. Yagami Taichi is a world-class player, so he makes more than enough to support Koushiro-san and himself, something that hasn't stopped Koushiro-san from working with computers (and never will… I have a vision of Koushiro-san with a set of white hair still working away on his beloved yellow pineapple laptop).

"Hi Ryou," he grins as he wraps his arms around Koushiro-san, who looks like he's suffering from a major headache, "Who you got there? Is that Seto Kaiba?"

Now I feel like I'm getting a headache, and Kaiba-kun is getting a bit pissed.

"I thought you were using Izumi as a pillow, not paying attention to the gossip," Kaiba-san bit out, obviously annoyed. I flush red, not sure of what to say. But it seems like in just those words, Kaiba-kun has managed to insult both Koushiro-san and Taichi-san. Needless to say, neither are very happy about it, although Taichi-san manages to keep a smile on his face. But anybody who knows him knows he's very angry.

"I thought you would have better taste, Ryou," Taichi-san murmured. I want to bury my head in my arms, and now Kaiba-kun is shaking in rage. This meeting is certainly going straight to hell.

"What are you trying to say, Yagami?" Kaiba-kun growls.

"Exactly what I said," Taichi-san bites back.

I want to shrink into a corner and wail until the breath forever runs out of my body and I never have to breath again because I would have shriveled up and my corpse has turned to dust. It hopefully won't take too long… I don't think I could stand listening to these two screaming at each other any longer than I already have.

"Yagami Taichi?" a familiar voice asks incredulously. Koushiro-san and I turn (apparently the other two are still too caught up in insulting each other that they don't notice) to stare at Emi-san who is watching the whole spectacle with wide eyes. Perhaps it had never occurred to her how immature Taichi-san and Kaiba-kun can be… -_-;; Well, it could happen.

"Um, Koushiro-san, this is Yoshizawa Emi. Emi-san, this is Izumi Koushiro," I quickly introduce, the two of them giving me expectant looks considering how the only other person who is able to give such an introduction is Kaiba-kun, considering how he is in no condition to do it himself.

She squeals.

I mean, _squeal._ You know the kind of things they do in those teener-booper movies (okay, so Jyounouchi-kun dragged me and sometimes Honda-kun and Otogi-kun to more than one of Yuugi-kun and Anzu's dates… it was really just a matter of when they finally managed to catch us, but out of the kindness of our souls, Jyounouchi-kun and I managed to keep Yuugi-kun and Anzu from finding out that it was all four of us)? Yes, that type of squealing.

Her squeals are enough to break Kaiba-kun and Taichi-san from their argument, and they kinda stare slack-jawed at Emi-san as she practically hops and jumps around.

After a couple minutes of this and we have amassed a pretty decent crowd, and Emi-san finally grins sheepishly. At least she's stopped dancing around like she's performing some sacrificial ritual.

"Go… gomen! I'm sorry for rambling like an idiot… um…" she seems to have noticed the crowd amassed, so she does the one thing a person in her situation and position could possibly do.

"Yagami-san… can I take a picture of you and Izumi-san together!"

Kaiba-kun and I both sweatdrop the way anime characters do when they're shocked beyond relief. Which is exactly what the two of us are (the shocked beyond relief part). Excuse my evil suspicion, but I have a feeling that judging by the way Emi-san is squealing, she's probably the type of person who write shounen-ai and yaoi fanfiction (PM: Blame that one on pinkangelsakura!!).

"Um… okay…" I have to grin at Taichi-san's tongue-tied behavior… like Otogi-kun, he certainly isn't one to stop talking… well, it often seems that he never wants to keep his mouth shut.

"Arigatou gozaimasu!" she grins sheepishly, "Just do whatever you want, I guess…" Well, there was a mistake if I've ever seen one, and Taichi-san has made up for his momentarily loss of silence.

Emi-san certainly doesn't seem to mind, even when Taichi-san grabs Koushiro-san in I suppose is his idea of a passionate embrace, and presses his lips firmly against the red-head's. Kaiba-kun chokes slightly, prompting me to smack him on the back so he can breath again, but Emi-san is delighted (I knew it! She probably does write shounen-ai and yaoi fanfiction!).

Absolutely delighted.

Kaiba-kun is now gripping my hand tightly as he watches stiffly, his expression stoic as he watches the show. I almost feel sorry for everybody else considering how this is the second time they've had to see something like this in just one day. It's becoming some type of tradition…

I don't really understand the expression on his face. There are still many things about Kaiba-kun that I do not know, and many that I will most likely never know. It's just that he's such a difficult person to understand that I suspect that even he doesn't know everything about himself.

I mean, judging by the way he's acting, I would say he was jealous.

I can't help but wince again. It's a _really_ good thing I don't voice my thoughts out loud, or I'm sure Kaiba-kun will completely forget that he's supposed to be my 'boyfriend' and undoubtedly try to strangle me. 

In a way, you can't help but be jealous of Koushiro-san and Taichi-san. It's just watching the two of them, seemingly having not a care in the world (well, I suppose Koushiro-san is a bit more worried about acting like this in front of a crowd, but he sure is taking this well), you wonder what it would be like to be in their shoes. To be so open and not have to worry about the consequences. Most people hide behind a façade, much like Kaiba-kun's stoic expressions. It's rare to see him act the way he wants to, or at least rare for people like me who simply do not belong in his life.

"Hey, Ryou?" Taichi-san grins sheepishly, "Look, I'm sorry about earlier." He always has managed to be on the forgiving side, easier to placate than most people… Jyounouchi-kun and Kaiba-kun quickly come to mind on that point, "I guess I was just acting really stupid."

"Not that he acts any differently at other times," Koushiro-san mumbles, giving Taichi-san his innocent 'Who, _me?_" look that just makes Taichi-san ruffle the red hair (much to Koushiro-san's annoyance).

"And that's why you love me, Kou-chan," Taichi-san smirks when Koushiro-san turns red, annoyed and indignant at the nickname that he hasn't managed to break Taichi-san out of the habit of using, before turning back to me and Kaiba-kun, "Good luck, Ryou."

And exactly what is _that_ supposed to mean?

Notes:

[1] DDD, short for Dragon Dice & Dungeons in the manga. In the anime, I think it's called Dungeon Dice Monsters (DDM) instead, and that Ryuuji invented the game. I guess it's possible he invented it in the manga, but it's not like I can read much of it.

PM: *sighs* Okay, I'm sorry I brought in Taichi and Koushiro from Digimon. I'm just not completely done with writing for that category, I guess. The thing is that I'm currently scrapped for ideas and my mind is turning to mush (a fairly common occurrence, no need to panic… Jyou: Like anybody _was_ going to…), and I can tell you now that basically everything happening eventually plays a part in the conclusion of the story. I'm not just sticking in characters at random… Besides, I haven't written a Taishiro for so long! The legend of the fairydust, by the way, is purely fictional. I haven't heard of it, and I don't think it's a good idea to ask my parents if there is a such thing in any type of legend whatsoever. I basically made it up, as is the jar thing which is just 'heart' and 'like' in Mandarin stuck together. However, what isn't made up is Ryou's oniisan. I swear, it's in volume 6!

Ryou *points at PM*: Her friend, pinkangelsakura, is trying to figure out what is going to come out of the knowledge that I have an older brother (and of course I have an older brother. What is wrong with you?).

PM: *growls* Listen, just because you're so sad and people mysteriously disappear and go unconscious when you try to play games with them causing you to move around often _doesn't_ give me _any_ reason to suspect that you had an older brother! *folds hands and sticks tongue out at Ryou*

Jyou: Oh, very mature.

Pikachumaniac


	5. Pink Carnations

Disclaimer: I have pretty new wallpaper, a pretty decent amount of cash, and a lot of manga that I adore. And a lot of summer homework that I need to do instead of writing disclaimers… :P (note this was written in August)

Fairydust

PM: I will not gripe about the last chapter. I will not gripe about the last chapter. I will NOT gripe about the last chapter. *long pause* I still think it kinda sucked.

Keel (Tales of Eternia): *smacks PM on the head with his cool staff*

PM: Ow! *rubs head* But the pain is not going to keep me from bringing another victim to torment, because… he… so cute! Amidamaruuuuuuuu-sannnnnnnnnn! *squeals and grabs the white-haired warrior* KAWAII!

Amidamaru (Shaman King): *whimpers* Yoh-dono…

PM: He's cute too! *grabs Yoh* KAWAIIIIIIIIII!

Yami *takes Keel's staff and smacks PM on the head with it again*: Get on with the fic, you crazy writer!

PM: *rubbing head and pouting* Heh. Yami-kun, one would think you _wanted_ me to start the fic! *innocent grin*

Yami: Actually, I don't really care since I haven't done anything yet.

PM *grumbles under breath of pairing up Yami with Yami Malik*

Yami: What did you say? *looking ready to yell out "Batsu Gemu" or "Mind Crush"*

PM: Nothing. Anyhow, it never occurred to me to mention this, but Ryuuji-kun gets a pretty big part in this fic… why? Cause I don't see enough of him, and he's too cute! *squeals and hugs him too*

Lance: Is it really possible to hug three people at the same time?!

ANYHOW, sorry I'm late everybody! But I just got the Yu-gi-oh DVDs and have been watching them in all my free time. So here's the next update, GOMEN! Okay, so it's two days late, but still, I'm very sorry. ;_; Just been having too much fun… ANYHOW, thank-yous! As usual, thanks to my wonderful beta-reader, Mariel. And to Vampire Huntress D (Sorry, no Yami Bakura romance in this fic… I personally don't like him all too much and cannot for the life of me see him having a relationship with Ryou, mainly due to his ability to treat the poor guy like a piece of property), The Evil Laugh (oh, give it a shot some time! I never thought I would be able to write shounen-ai, and look at what I've churned out! Several idiotic stories!), Shamanic Guardian Lena (here it is!), Wildwolf (Honda-kun has an older sister, but I'm pretty sure that Ryou-kun has an older brother… and yep, Emi-chan is starting to sound like a lot of us), Mejika (well, you see, my fics are really experiments in brainwashing… that is why your mind is blank. I will soon be hunting you down and imparting great vasts of useless knowledge in order to make you all my unwilling slaves… *gets knocked out by Yami-kun*), Sarina Fannel, *incoherant* (Dental floss… I should use it more regularly myself!), Crystalline Maxwell (they'll find out in due course), random reader (don't we all want to know what happens? Except Ryou-kun, cause he'll be mad at me…), silverlaugh1155 (I sincerely hope that by 'gross stuff', you don't mean shounen-ai cause that is showing up. However, this fic will remain PG no matter what), and Indigo Tantarian (*grins sheepishly* Who knows? I might have lost my touch. Not that I had much of one in the first place…). Thank you all!

Just as a reminder, and I know I sound like a prick, but this story IS **shounen-ai**, and if anybody comes after me because of the coupling, you can expect hell to break loose. (Ryou: Very nice of you… PM: Shut up.)

~ Pink Carnations ~

Fact #1: I'm allergic to carnations. This, sadly enough, includes pink ones sent by 'loving boyfriends' who are trying to make up for their poor behavior from several hours ago.

Fact #2: I didn't find this out until quite recently. Twenty seconds ago recently.

And now… let's just say that I'm very happy for the fact that my skin hasn't burst out into hives (or whatever happens when people are allergic to something) and I'm not in any danger of dying… I think.

The reason why I say 'I think' is because judging by the way the others are acting, I'm going to be heading towards a bright light and meeting my dead ancestors fairly soon.

In between his wild cursing that seems to be directed mainly at Kaiba-kun (with short, random bursts that are directed towards florists and the like), Jyounouchi-kun finally glares at me, a glare that causes me to shrink back as I pray he won't kill me or even worse, tell otousan.

"Jyounouchi-kun!" Luckily for me, Yuugi-kun intervenes on my behalf, "Stop that already! You're making all of us nervous, and that isn't helping any of us."

"He's trying to kill you! That *beep!* is trying to kill you!" Jyounouchi-kun ignores Yuugi-kun and continues to rage, causing us all to shake our heads and sigh.

= Due to technical and moral difficulties, certain rude words will have to be censored. Thank you for your time and patience, and have a nice day… *PM bonks Katsuya on the head with a huge anime mallet* Baka na! You know this fic is only rated PG! =

"Jyounouchi, what on earth makes you think that Kaiba-kun will want to kill Bakura-kun? It's not like he even knows that he's allergic to… carnations," Anzu blinks and looks at me, "Why did you take them if you are allergic to them anyway, Bakura-kun?" I think she's also struggling to keep herself from asking how on earth can _anybody_ be allergic to something like _carnations_, but she bites her tongue. I have a feeling that they would have been laughing if it wasn't for the fact that they're acting like I'm about to pass on into the next world.

"I didn't…" Sneeze. "… know that…" Sneeze. "I was allergic." Sneeze. "… to carnations." Well, although they're looking at me funny, it makes complete sense to me. Even when I lived with the rest of my family, before the divorce, my mom wasn't exactly the gardening type. Also, otousan and oniisan never liked carnations anyway. So it shouldn't be that odd that I didn't know… uh… right?

The long silence makes me believe that perhaps the others believe otherwise, and I can only sigh. Between sneezes, of course.

~ * ~

Yuugi-tachi [1] had to hold Jyounouchi-kun down when Kaiba-kun arrived, much to his amusement. I don't know how he managed to get into the dorm and find our room, but very little about Kaiba-kun surprises me these days. In all likelihood, he probably just asked somebody. After all, I no longer have to question whether or not he knows my name, and at the worst, I'm pretty sure he remembers Jyounouchi-kun's name (then again, since he spends so much of his time calling Jyounouchi-kun by those horrible nicknames, I suppose that would lead to some doubt)…

Having stuffed some of Jyounouchi-kun's clothes into his mouth to keep him from talking, we silently stare at Kaiba-kun, as if he is an apparition rather than actually here. He, in turn, stares at us as if we have lost his mind, although there is a sadistic flash of pleasure in his blue eyes as he appraises Jyounouchi-kun, held down and gagged. Jyounouchi-kun is, of course, unhappy, and the gag isn't enough to completely muffle out the curses he's itching for Kaiba-kun to hear.

"Very good. It looks as if the make inu has learned his place," Kaiba-kun sneers.

That, of course, does it for Jyounouchi-kun. I don't know how, but he manages to throw off all four of them to get up and charge Kaiba-kun, ripping the makeshift gag out of his mouth as he does so.

Unfortunately, Yami Bakura decides this is the perfect opportunity to cause some hell. Taking over my body without any permission (not that he ever asked for it in the first place), he allows me to watch as he sticks his (MY!) foot out, causing Jyounouchi-kun to trip and fall, crashing into Kaiba-kun on the way down. Yami Bakura laughs before whisking himself away, leaving me to take the blame. I can't help but squeak at the sight of Jyounouchi-kun sprawled on top of Kaiba-kun, both of which look ready to murder somebody. Namely me. Only the knowledge that Yami Bakura won't allow his precious possession to get maimed or killed is keeping me from bolting, but it's still pretty close as I smile at them nervously.

"Um… gomen nasai [2]?"

I think they would have killed me (or at least attempted) if it wasn't for the fact that they had suddenly noticed that they were in a VERY compromising position. They look at each other for a moment, the blood running to their faces, and get away from each other as if the other person was suffering from the plague.

"Kaiba-kun, don't you and Bakura-kun need to get going?" Yuugi-kun asks politely, helping Jyounouchi-kun up and gripping his shirt VERY tightly to prevent Jyounouchi-kun from attacking either Kaiba-kun, myself, or the Sennen Ring hanging from my neck (which probably still constitutes as myself, as I'll probably get strangled in the process), "After all, there might be traffic or the lines might be long or… anyhow, shouldn't you two get going soon?"

Never mind the fact that Kaiba-kun most likely already has the tickets, and I'm sure he could clear the skies of thunder clouds if he wanted to. In fact, it almost sounds like Yuugi-kun is trying to get rid of us, which isn't that bad of a plan if I say so myself. At least it will prevent any bloodshed between the two, although the prospect of being alone with a ticked off Kaiba-kun isn't very appealing (if I may say so).

"Sure, just run away after you've nearly killed him! What were you thinking?" Jyounouchi-kun screams, causing us all to sweatdrop.

"What are you talking about?" Kaiba-kun asks, staring down at Jyounouchi-kun as if he is a piece of dirt, "Have you lost your mind? Not that makes much of a difference from your previous state…"

"How could you not know about his allergies?! Don't you check medical records before pulling these types of stunts?!" Jyounouchi-kun continues to yell. Kaiba-kun looks at me, although there is no accusation in his eyes. Something that I'm thankful for.

"I'm allergic to carnations," I explain lamely, hoping I don't sound as pathetic as I think I do.

"If you want to break up with him, why don't you just say so instead of sending poison?!"

"Jyounouchi-kun! I didn't even know, how could you expect Kaiba-kun to?" I try to knock some sense into him… not literally, although the thought is starting to be very tempting.

"There's no talking sense to him," Honda-kun shakes his head, probably getting a headache from Jyounouchi-kun's hysterics (it's about time he was on the receiving end rather than the giving side), "You two better just go. I doubt he'll get that information through his thick skull until much later."

"I'm going to _kill_ him!"

"I see," Kaiba-kun replies flatly… speaking to Honda-kun rather than Jyounouchi-kun, of course. He silently looks over at the raging Jyounouchi-kun, "Then let's go."

Muttering a soft good-bye, I trail after Kaiba-kun, who sweeps through the crowded hallway like a king, everybody parting a path for him as surely as the Red Sea parted for Moses. He's mumbling incoherently about idiot blonde dogs (-_-;;;), but I'm not in the mood to reprimand him. Not that it matters, I don't think he'll listen to me anyway.

"I'm sorry about Jyounouchi-kun," I finally start rambling/ranting as we pass by most of the people, who thankfully don't follow us like stalkers, "I really didn't know and I tried to explain to him but he wouldn't listen to me and…"

"It's okay." I blink in surprise, trying to get a good look at Kaiba-kun to make sure there are no huge gashes on his head that gave him minor concussions. I don't see anything, but I suppose a painful impact with the floor could still scramble his mind up. It's not that I'm pessimistic about the possibility of Kaiba-kun thinking I was anything but an annoying pest, but it just that it doesn't seem likely that he would think of me as anything but just that.

"Demo…" I try to get a word in edgewise… something along the lines of if he needs to go to the hospital or something… but he cuts me off again.

"I said it's okay, Ryou," he repeats firmly, putting some emphasize on my name and causing me to turn bright red again, much to the amusement of the group of girls watching us like hawks, "I know it's not your fault."

"Are you…"

"Yes," he cuts me off for the third time in approximately two minutes as he opens the back door, where a more low-profile vehicle is waiting for us.

Somewhere along this point, I get a good look at Kaiba-kun's clothes and realize for the umpteenth time that he shares a buckle fetish with Yami-kun, although the chains are a little less obvious. I also notice that I still look like something dragged from the sewers, but then again, I was too busy worrying about Jyounouchi-kun not murdering a certain somebody to deal with clothing issues.

I'm beginning to wonder if some of Kaiba-kun's "I don't care what you think" attitude is rubbing off on me. If so, then I'm going to be needing to see a psychiatrist when this is through.

~ * ~

The car trip was done in silence, at least on my behalf. Kaiba-kun spent most of the time talking on his cell phone, which might as well be glued to his ear considering how often he uses it. Personally, I think that the only reason why he hasn't done that yet is because you very well can't dial when the piece of technical misery is permanently attached to your ear. I couldn't understand anything he was saying, so I spent most of the time staring out the window as the scenery whizzed by, as if I was watching my life from afar on fast-forward.

Odd as it seems, it appears that most of my life is spent doing exactly that. Watching, as a spectator, as others do what they please. I've allowed myself over and over again to get carried away by their wishes and wants, rather than caring about my own needs.

What am I saying? I think I need that psychiatrist more than I could have suspected. Or I could just talk to Yuugi-kun, who took a course on it. Although I have a feeling that no matter who I go to, the diagnosis will be somewhere along the lines of me needing to get a lobotomy.

I'm so lost in my depressed stage that it takes me a while to notice that Kaiba-kun has already left the car, walked to the other side, opened my door, and is looking at me expectantly with his hand held out waiting for me to take it. From the way he's impatiently tapping his foot and the annoyed expression on his face, I have a feeling that he has been waiting for quite a while, which immediately causes me to turn red. Again, he waves off all my pathetic attempts at an apology, taking me by the hand and leading me into the theater.

The first word that comes to mind is beautiful. The theater really is just that; beauty that is seldom seen except in pictures and the imagination. It's alluring and breathtaking, and I could have spent an entire week just standing there and taking in the gaze if it wasn't for Kaiba-kun.

I don't know if it's because he's seen such wonderful sights so often that he is immune to the wonder that one feels, like a child seeing their first pretty bauble, or if it's because he's too busy to care about the scenery around him. In a way, I can't believe it could be the first, since who can ever get used to seeing something like this? And if it _is_ the second, that he's too busy to enjoy a gratification such as this, then what's the point of living a life?

I don't ask him these things, knowing that it really isn't my place to be asking such questions of him. Although I would very much like to. But there are many questions that I would like to know the answer to, so many of them surrounding Kaiba-kun since this whole 'experience' started.

Quickly buying two programs without a word to me, he hands me one and then pulls me towards where our seats are… at least, that's where I think he's taking me. I seriously hope that this is the part where he randomly informs me that he's one of the performers and I'm supposed to be one of his actors.

Heaven forbid.

That thought in play, jumping crazily and doing flip-flops in my mind, I nearly want to hug the seat when my fears are erased. Yoshizawa-san and Emi-san are already there, along with some other people that Kaiba-kun knows and that I vaguely recognize from today's other events. I'm finally introduced to them, but there are so many names (and long ones at that) in a variety of languages that the names just seem to go through one ear and out the other. In the long run, I end up not remembering any name besides the ones I already know, along with the name of an American businessman who looks a lot like oniisan, except his name is Jack. It doesn't help when some of the daughters I'm introduced to start giggling and say something about 'cute' and 'adorable', bringing up some bad memories of when I was dragged off by four adoring fans on my first day at Domino High.

Kaiba-kun just glares at them and drags me off to the seat, which has got to be the best seat I have and ever will sit in when it comes to theater. Mainly because I don't go to the theater, but I'm digressing. He gives me a set of binoculars, which I am sure I will not need considering how close we are to the stage, but I take it anyway. Although that might have more to do with how I don't know how to politely refuse. Besides, if it later turns out that I might need it, he'll probably end up giving me an arrogant smirk, and I don't really want to deal with that today.

Since he doesn't look interested in talking to me, instead involving a more-or-less impatient Yoshizawa-san (impatient in that he would rather not talk business at the moment) in another business conversation (doesn't he ever stop thinking about that?), I flip open the program, causing some of the paper advertisements to fall out. Kaiba-kun doesn't notice as I turn red and stoop down to grab them, earning some odd looks from neighbors and the such.

The play is set in Feudal Japan, based on a peasant who works as a servant to a prince. When the prince goes to visit his fiancée, a high-born princess, she falls in love with the peasant. But since she's high-born and he's just a servant, of course they're not supposed to fall in love. In fact, if they get found out, he would most likely get killed.

Of course, he knows that, and since life is one of the few things a person bound to another possesses, it's of no surprise that he's trying to avoid her.

I'm guessing it's going to end up being one of those typical romantic fairytale stories; in fact, I'm surprised that Kaiba-kun is going through the torture just for a few words with Yoshizawa-san. Emi-san is looking at the stage, ignoring everything going around us. Once again, I feel like an invisible toad, patiently waiting (in vain) for the kiss from a beautiful princess.

Luckily, the play starts quickly, so I don't need to wallow in self-pity for too long.

~ * ~

My mood worsens steadily as the play progresses. It's not that it was _bad_, cause it's wonderfully acted with a brilliant script, but the irony is getting on my nerves. It seems that somebody is out to get me this week (PM: Teehee! *tries to look inconspicuous as Ryou tries to yank the laptop away from her*), and I'm not talking about Yami Bakura, as he doesn't seem to have a set schedule for when he wishes to use me.

As expected, the peasant falls for the princess, who is a bright, charming young lady with not enough common sense to drown a flea in a teaspoon. While the young man possesses quite a bit more common sense than she has, no amount in the world can prevent him from losing his heart to a girl who can flutter her eyelashes and pout her lips like that.

But since they _do_ belong to two entirely separate worlds, worlds that aren't really meant to collide together, problems arise. Secrecy, morals, decaying friendships… everything that makes a good romance, I suppose, but it's not like I'm an expert in that category. 

I don't know what possibly could have possessed Kaiba-kun to agree to come to this…

Act one ends up with the discovery of a forbidden kiss by none other than the prince the princess is engaged to. Then comes the 15-minute intermission, which is when you get a chance to endure the bathroom lines that are tediously long to go to the bathrooms that are ridiculously small. Conversations about the play's progression immediately spring to life as the lights on the stage fade into nothing, a curtain closing to shield the small microcosm.

That's when I realize something.

Somewhere, sometime during the play, Kaiba-kun's hand has miraculously found its way into my lap, and is now holding my hand. And it's not even a death grip, just a soft, gentle hold. Now while I suppose there can be differences in deciding exactly how surprising such a gesture is, since I've discovered that Kaiba-kun can be both a wonderful and terrible actor, there is absolutely no doubt on my surprise towards the fact that he's been holding my hand for who knows how long, and I haven't noticed _at all_.

My family was never one of those touchy-touchy types, so I've never been that comfortable with contact, which especially includes sudden no-asking-for-permission kisses from a person who doesn't even like me, as a lover or a friend. Yet his hand has been holding mine as if it belonged there, and I didn't even notice until the lights went on and I looked down. Could it be possible that I was so entranced by the play that I didn't notice such a huge thing?

I somehow doubt it, and I blink as I stare at my lap. I couldn't be anymore fascinated if I suddenly started to grow mold. Kaiba-kun apparently has no urgency in removing his hand, talking casually to somebody behind him about such and such, I'm not exactly sure what.

The person next to me appears either to be angry that Kaiba-kun has been 'taken', or is merely homophobic, glaring at me and making no show to hide it. As if I couldn't get anymore uncomfortable. I suppose that it's really too much to ask for everybody being as accepting as otousan and Yuugi-kun (I wonder what okaasan and oniisan will say… do I even want to know what they're going to think?), but it's always nice to dream.

_Dreams are for people who cannot deal with reality,_ Yami Bakura offers those kind words of advice.

I cringe and decline to reply. Since Yami Bakura doesn't come out too often anymore, probably still waiting for an opportunity to steal Yuugi-kun's Sennen Puzzle and Sennen Tauk (I wouldn't put it beyond him), I sometimes forget that he's there. Yes, I know it sounds weird that it's possible to forget a psychotic spirit living in your mind, but for the past couple months… with the exception of the perfume incident… he's laid low. I suppose there's the possibility that it's because Yami-kun is living right across the hallway now, and he doesn't want to tempt getting banished into the Shadow Realm like Yami Malik, rather than him actually feeling kind enough not to utterly destroy my social life. But as long as he's not using me to steal something, I guess I'm happy.

"Ryou?"

I snap out of my silent contemplation of Yami Bakura, which isn't exactly a hobby of mine, mind you, and look into Kaiba-kun's intense blue eyes, "Ha… hai?"

He takes a good look at me, as if seeing me for the first time in his life. Then again, I don't even think he looked at me this carefully the first time he really _did_ see me, except maybe as somebody to stick on a hit list.

Honda-kun once told Jyounouchi-kun that he thought I had a face that you couldn't help but trust, and that included little children and animals [3]. If I remember correctly, Honda-kun was at the time very drunk and upset about Otogi-kun, so I imagine his tongue was a little bit loose as he was tipsy from the alcohol and flipped-out about the whole incident. Jyounouchi-kun, seeing that he still has yet to learn when to shut up, told me, and Otogi-kun happened to be close enough to hear at that time. That, of course, caused him to freak out, putting another dent in the ongoing saga of whether or not Otogi-kun is _ever_ going to tell Honda-kun that he likes him, as he clearly does. I swear, those two are driving me crazy… and I'm not even interested in matchmaking!

Anyhow, I have a feeling that the innocent face doesn't really work too well on Kaiba-kun, seeing that he hasn't been at all charmed. Kaiba-kun is a pragmatist; he does what he needs to do in order to meet his goal. The only innocence that can sway him starts with a 'M' and ends with an 'A', but he's not exactly here right now.

I can't help but hold my breath as I wait for what he's about to say. Part of me can't help but wonder if I even want to know what he's about to say. It can either be oddly affectionate or coldly disdainful, both of which I don't think I can stand. Although deep down, I know I would prefer the coldly disdainful dismissal, seeing that is the Kaiba Seto that I am used to. When Kaiba-kun is affectionate, it just makes me feel worse. I know I never thought much about having a relationship with somebody, but I would prefer the one I have not to be acting.

"It's nothing." Brushing me off as if I was an annoying insect that has been put into place, Kaiba-kun turns away to look at the stage, as the play is about to start soon. I sigh and turn to face the same way, the lights gradually but quickly dimming and the actors coming onto the stage.

But like everybody else who has been thinking me too ignorant to notice, the feeling of those burning eyes gazing at me as act two picks up is painfully obvious.

As is the hand that is still clutching mine, as if he is searching for comfort in a world that has turned as cold and as pointless as a hamster wheel that keeps turning and turning, exhausting your energy but leaving you in the same place you were before, never to get anywhere.

~ * ~

The play was depressing. Really depressing. Now that they've been caught, the princess needs to figure out a way to save her lover, even if it means sacrificing her happiness. Since she's the princess, the worst they could directly do to her is immediately make her marry her fiancée and hope he can knock some sense into her, although this time it's not meant literally.

In order to save his life, she sends him away. With the help of some loyal servants, she manages to smuggle him onto a ship headed for China, and hopes that if possible, she would be able to escape herself and join him in a place where they will hopefully be safe (and happy) together.

Unfortunately, they're about as unlucky as I am. On the journey, the ship ends up sinking to the bottom of the ocean, and everybody dies. When the princess finds this out, she goes into a deep depression and ends up throwing herself off the edge of the cliff, as grief-stricken as she was.

One would think that they play would end here, but whoever wrote the play had a definite love for irony. The final scene involves a young man getting washed up on the beach, not looking very healthy I admit, but certainly very much alive. And who should it be but the peasant who risked his life for a moment of happiness?

With his memory gone, of course. The only thing he has from his past is (get this) a pink carnation that he had put in his shirt pocket, dead as the princess that gave it to him, as well as the memory that he had of her.

A pink carnation.

_Pink carnation._

Did they even have pink carnations back then?!

And that's how the play ended. Seriously. If anything else could convince me more that Kaiba-kun and I are on a one-way road to hell with no rest stops in sight more than the ending of this play, it would certainly have to be something.

As I just sit there, slack-jawed at how horrible my life is becoming, Kaiba-kun gets up and moves for the exit before the applause has barely begun. His hand still around mine, I have no choice but to follow him, although I guess I'm not that interested in staying behind either.

Walking from the dim light of the box into the bright light of the hallway leading to the grand staircase takes a bit of effort to get used to, and I can only stand there, blinking at the sudden burst of white. Kaiba-kun doesn't bother to wait for my eyes to adjust as he leads me towards the stairs, me doing my best to keep from tripping over my two clumsy feet.

My eyes are nearly adjusted when they start to water painfully, my throat feeling scratchy and suddenly expressing a need to sneeze. Very, very soon. That's when I realize that as a momento from the play, the theater has enlisted the doormen (and women) to hand out carnations or roses to the people as they left. That, of course, is causing my nearly-discovered allergies to go haywire, which as I had previously discovered was _not_ a pleasant experience.

In fact, the carnation is right in my face, the girl holding it looking at the two of us with starry-eyes. Another shounen-ai/yaoi fanfic writer, no doubt (at this rate, I'll meet every one of them before the end of the week). All I can hope is that she doesn't suddenly whip out a camera and ask us to pose. That'd be something… I'll probably end up sneezing throughout the entire photo shoot, especially with the carnation right under my nose like this.

Quickly, Kaiba-kun deftly takes the carnation from the girl, placing it back in her basket (much to her surprise, which is clearly mirrored on her face). He then pulls out a long-stemmed rose, before proceeding to walk away. I smile apologetically at the girl, who looks ready to burst into tears.

"Gomen nasai. I'm allergic…" I manage to get out before Kaiba-kun has pulled me away, where his car is already waiting. Maybe he has a psychic or telepathic bond to them, I don't really know. Whatever it is, I'm shoved into the car before I can open my mouth to apologize, and before he's even gotten in the other door, he's already on his cell phone again, yelling very loudly at some poor subordinate. He somehow manages to put on his seatbelt, even with his hands full due to the cell phone, program, and the single red rose.

The trip back to campus is about as silent as the one to the theater, punctuated by violent yelling and fluent cursing on the part of Kaiba-kun. As for me, I just memorize the detail of all the buildings we speed by, tuning out the angry conversation that Kaiba-kun is engaged in.

Much to my surprise, Jyounouchi-kun is waiting for us when we reach the back entrance into the dorms, along with Yuugi-tachi. Okay, so it shouldn't be surprising that Jyounouchi-kun would be waiting after the death threats he was yelling at Kaiba-kun, but the rest of them? How could they do this to me?

Kaiba-kun doesn't care if they're there or not. He helps me out, which I'm sure would make anybody else feel like the belle of the ball, while I feel like the toad that's still desperate for the kiss. And just when I think I've gotten so used to Kaiba-kun's mood swings, he surprises me again when he gives me the rose, gently taking my hand and securing my shivering fingers around the long stem. Somebody had gone through the painful task of removing all the thorns, so all Kaiba-kun has to do is make sure my hand isn't crushing the delicate leaves.

"Well, at least I know you're definitely not allergic to roses."

I gawk at him, mouth half-open as if I'm trying to catch flies in it. Then, Jyounouchi-kun's screeching a distant buzzing in my ears, he plants a light kiss on my forehead, as soft and tender as the blood-red petals of the rose I'm clutching in my hand. It lasts only for a second, perhaps for even less, but it spills a variety of desperate emotions that almost makes me want to scream from the sudden rush.

And then he's gone, vanished into thin air. Of course I know he left, but I can just stare after him, mouth still gaping in an embarrassing manner. It's not until the sounds of the car have completely died out, and a screeching Jyounouchi-kun runs out of the dorm, Yuugi-kun and the others no longer able to hold him, screaming more death threats and cursing his head off as the car that has disappeared into the distance.

"Gomen, Bakura-kun. We only went because we needed to hold him back," Anzu explains, and I just stare at her in a daze.

And I realize that like the toad who wished beyond hope for the beautiful princess to kiss his slimy, fly-favored lips, that like the peasant who knew better than to fall in love with death but still succumbed to its spiderweb spells, I'm walking into the same trap brought about by love.

And like the toad and peasant, not one of us stands a chance.

Translations and Notes:

[1] Adding the –tachi kinda means this person and the others. Yuugi-tachi basically means Yuugi and the others (I'm pretty sure, at least… *innocent look*)

[2] Sorry… very politely. VERY politely.

[3] The part about the innocent face is actually true, although it was just Honda-kun thinking, rather then him telling Jyounouchi-kun. What happened was that instead of searching for how Pegasus was 'cheating' after the duel with Seto (like in the anime), Honda went in search of Mokuba, while Yami Bakura took control of Ryou's body to go and look at the painting of Shaddi. Anyhow, on his way back, Ryou ran into the guards that were guarding the way to where Mokuba was being kept, and although he managed to get out of that mess, he runs into Honda who had seen the whole thing. Anyhow, Honda enlists Ryou's help to distract the guards, inwardly thinking about how he has a face that 'children and animals automatically trust' (or something like that… it's been a while since my friend translated that part for me). -_-; For those of you who want to know what happened after that, Ryou did manage to distract the guards, but Honda got caught anyway. Yami Bakura freed him though. I would put a basic/Japanese-corrupted translation of the conversations and such, but it's too long and this note is already getting way too long.

PM *grimaces*: Okay… I think the chapter sucked, but I'm not going to say anything beyond that (my beta-reader hates me). What I really wanted to say was that the play about the peasant and the princess is actually a Digimon fanfic plot developed by Salt-Washed Mirror, Kei Kazama, and I on my last birthday. Since it's been rotting in my computer since then, and I know for sure that I will never finish it unless a miracle should occur, I decided to just make that the play in this story. The play itself is inspired by the fanart gift Kei drew for my birthday, so that prompted us to make a story. I was originally thinking about doing either Rent, The Lion King, or Aida, but since I haven't watched Rent (only listened to the CD), The Lion King doesn't have much to do with the storyline, and I haven't watched Aida either (just read the little book thing the CD comes with), I decided to just use the storyline plot that will never get written anyway. I hope it wasn't too bad… I was really struggling with this chapter when I wrote it.

Yami Bakura *steals the rose from Ryou and holds it with his teeth, trying to look seductive*: Now how about getting me some of those Sennen Items, sweetie? *bats eyelashes at PM*

PM *screams in absolute terror and runs away to hide behind an exasperated Yue, who was planning on making out with Touya but now has to act as a shield for a psychopath writer from a psychopath thief*

Koushiro: ^^;; Finally somebody who can scare PM.

Pikachumaniac


	6. The Ugly Umbrella

Disclaimer: I own a fake pink carnation. At least Ryou's not allergic to do that. Besides, it's not like I gained ownership of Yu-gi-oh in the past week, why do I have to keep writing this? I could be reading a book or something. Sheesh.

Fairydust

PM *slinks back onto the stage, hoping nobody is going to start throwing rotten fruit at her*: Um… hi… *tries to smile as innocently as Ryou does, fails completely* I… err… hope this chapter is better than the last one. -_-;; So sorry… 

Ryou *reading the last chapter*: And you thought _I_ needed a psychiatrist, Miss I've-Got-Really-Low-Self-Confidence-But-Refuses-To-Admit-It!

PM: Shut up. I thought I should warn you people, this story goes up to 16 parts, according to the brief outline I made for the rest of the story. While 16 parts might not seem like that much to most people, it's a lot for me. I've never written anything beyond 5 parts, mainly because I don't like writing multiple chapters that much. ^^;; I tried to find parts where I can make cuts, but there really aren't any (plus my beta-reader didn't want me to… arigatou, Mariel). And speaking of beta-readers, a load of thanks to Kei-kun for her help in developing the beginning scenes of this chapter. ^_~ Arigatou gozaimasu, Kei-kun! Anyhow, all that said, this part takes place on a Wednesday morning and beginning of afternoon. Enjoy!

ANYWHO, a warm thanks to all of my reviewers! ^_^ Although my wonderful… um… uninspirational muses are half convinced that you are overinflating my ego… but there is no possibility of that, right? *innocent look* So yes, Indigo Tantarian (Ryou: YES! POOR ME! PITY ME! PM: You anime characters…), Ginny (I'm glad you thought it was good… ^_~), juvi (irony is the best policy… no, wait, isn't it supposed to be honesty? Oh well, irony is cool too!), Crystalline Maxwell (Well, that is Yami no Bakura's purpose in life, no?), Wildwolf (no bugging, just warning people… I'm very delicate and do not want any flames… it's quite depressing, actually, I got a flame for my first long story… *sniffles* ANYHOW, don't warn everybody about what's happening! And that Five God Dragon annoyed me! Although… Yami… no shirt… *droollllllll*), Mejika (Ryou hasn't exactly admited it… but we ALL know he does!!! Except Seto… so clueless they are!), Shamanic Guardian Lena (Yami no Bakura is soooo evil… but he's so cute… -_-;;; I wish I could make up my mind about that character!), *i n c o h e r e n t* (sequel? You've read my mind! I have a fic in mind but I do not know if it will be the sequel… it depends on this fic's progress and how many sodas I drink, I suppose… but I do have a fic in mind, never fear!), tuulikki (Wah ha! I do know Japanese! So those past two years WEREN'T in vain… okay, let's forget that I didn't learn about the -tachi thing in class, but… that is okay!), nell-and-paru (don't put yourself done, dangit! That's the MUSE'S job to do… well, at least my muses… they just put me down… course, they're not really muses… they're just PARASITES… but that's a different ballgame…), and sliverlaugh1155 (^_^ I got your review right when I was about to update… so I hope you're happy!). ^_^ THANK YOU ALL!

~ The Ugly Umbrella ~

True or false: It is legally permitted to strangle your 'koi' when he drags you to a charity event and confidently expects you to do all the work.

Answer: Unfortunately, it's false. But it _should_ be true.

"Seto, get off that cell phone right now before I break it," I threaten, absolutely exasperated. For the past half-hour, Kaiba-kun has left _me_ with a vast array of screaming, bawling kids (okay, so there are only two, and one is absolutely sweet, but that's _besides_ the point!), and then proceeded to spend the entire same-said half-hour talking on the phone. Before he can get off the phone to object to my demand, I shove the sobbing baby into his free hand, which, interestingly enough, just causes it to start screaming louder .

Although Kaiba-kun could have just ignored my annoying request, he can't ignore this. He glares at me, then at the baby, which only causes it to scream even louder (I can relate. I would be crying too if Kaiba-kun was glaring at me like that… wait, he's glaring at me like that right now! Must resist big crocodile tears…). Covering the mouth piece, he gives me a pleading look (which is shocking coming from him), "Ryou, I'm on the phone… and either way, it's not like I know how to take care of a kid! You see the way it's screaming already, I don't deal with these types of things!"

Don't or won't? I fold my arms and just glare back. Not that that's very impressive… Jyounouchi-kun used to laugh at me when I glared at him for stealing my stuff. Judging from his reaction, my glares have the effectiveness of throwing a model of a penguin made up nothing more than marshmallows at somebody's face. More likely to make somebody laugh rather than feel any fear whatsoever. But I have NOT endured a long lecture from Jyounouchi-kun last night about responsibility (as if he's one to talk…) simply to have Kaiba-kun drag me to this charity event just so he can talk on his phone and have _me_ do everything for him! And I seriously intend to tell him just that!

"Seto, I'm not taking care of these kids by myself," I tell him flatly. Frankly, I do not know what could have _possibly_ possessed him to _agree_ to come to something like this! I mean, since when was it Seto Kaiba's duty to go to a charity event where we volunteer at a homeless shelter? And not to mention somehow _mysteriously_ getting himself and me assigned to taking care of infants and toddlers! From what I've seen so far from him, he couldn't tell the baby's feet from its head without some sort of instruction manual! "This is your responsibility, not mine, and you can just forget it if you think I'm going to do all your work for you. You signed up for this, you got yourself into this. So take some accountability for your actions and help me before you have to get yourself a new cell phone."

He kinda stares at me for a moment, as if disbelieving that I meant every word that I said. I continue to glare at him, somehow managing to look vaguely threatening enough that he doesn't just laugh in my face. Then, silently and almost mechanically, he clicks the phone shut and places it in his jacket pocket.

I softy release the held breath I had been holding, inwardly grimacing and hope he isn't going to start to _really_ hate me for what I just did.

"All right," he states slowly, staring at the baby as a general would stare at a nuclear weapon (with both longing and an insane need to throw it off the nearest cliff as soon as possible), "What am I supposed to do?"

I just blink at him. Does he honestly expect me to know? I'm the younger, spoiled brother, remember? "Um… I'm not really sure…" I admit sheepishly.

"Is somebody helping you?" a voice interrupts our silent staring-at-each-other-blankly-hoping-sooner-or-later-the-other-person-will-have-a-brilliant-revelation-that-will-save-us-from-humiliation-except-now-it's-too-late, "I thought Saiki was helping the two of you?"

"You mean the blonde?" Kaiba-kun frowns, obviously associating our (former) guide with Jyounouchi-kun, "He left us about half an hour ago without a word. He hasn't been back since."

She sighs, shaking her head, "Okay, so I'll just kill him later. My name is Michelle, and I guess I'll help you two out today." She kinda looks over the two of us critically, spending the most time looking at Kaiba-kun with a totally expressionless look that would have made me squirm (Kaiba-kun just looks back at her coolly). She looks middle-aged, maybe Taichi-san's age, with some white hair already creeping into her dark brown hair.

"You need to change him."

_That_ causes him to start. "Excuse me?" Kaiba-kun asks, his voice strangely high-pitched as he demands, "Exactly _what_ do you want me to do?"

"You need to change him," Michelle-san repeats calmly, pausing to think before adding sarcastically, "That's why he's crying like that. He needs a diaper change or he'll keep crying until he turns blue and dies. And let me tell you, that doesn't really look good on your record."

"Okay," Kaiba-kun replies a bit hastily, staring at the screeching demon in his arms, "So?"

"Don't you know how to change a diaper?" she stares at the two of us in absolute disbelief.

"No."

"Why am I always being assigned the incompetent people…" she asks herself, shaking her head and sighing while looking to the sky as a source of salvation (but sadly, not getting any), "Okay, I'll show you how to change the diaper. But then you'll be changing the next one."

From the expression on Kaiba-kun's face, he's going to make sure there _is_ no next one. I wonder idly if I should kindly explain to him that you _cannot_ bribe a baby to hold it, but judging from the look on his face, I'll be dead in twenty seconds flat if I dare voice that.

~ * ~

"Why is he still crying?" Kaiba-kun snaps peevishly, glaring at little Tetsuji, who is crying his head off. Michelle-san had rushed off as soon as she had changed him, thrusting him into Kaiba-kun's arms, upon which he promptly burst into a flood of tears (I mean Tetsuji, not Kaiba-kun… although I suppose that would certainly be an interesting sight).

I try to keep a perfectly straight face as I reply, "Maybe he knows you don't like him."

"How can he know that? He's just a baby," Kaiba-kun snarls back, which of course causes Tetsuji to scream even louder (don't ask me how he managed to do that, but I swear he did), "Listen to him! You'd think I was trying to kill him!"

"It might just be the tone of your voice."

"What's wrong with it?!"

Insert louder crying.

"I… I think you're scaring him, Seto," I finally say softly, declining to mention my own feelings on the matter.

There is a long silence as he just blinks at me, giving me that stare/glare of his. I feel like a goldfish in a bowl, being stared at by a person I barely know and never will. I can feel the ever-present blush creeping up again, and I feel like hiding behind the door. Or at the very least lifting up the baby in my arms to cover my deep red face… I don't understand exactly what is it about Kaiba-kun that can get me so nervous like this, why I care so much about what he thinks…

"Your hair smells nice."

My eyes practically boggle and fall out, and I resist the urge to smack my head against a wall a couple times to make sure I'm not dreaming. Now that is a non sequitor if I've ever heard one. My throat is dry and my voice is all raspy as I finally manage to gasp out, "Na… nani? [1]"

As I stare at him in a surprised stupor, absolutely sure this is some melodramatic daydream and I'm probably really in the hospital with a coma, he just gives me an oddly relaxed grin as he casually shrugs, "Your hair. It smells like apple blossoms. It's nice."

It's dead silent. Even Tetsuji has stopped his bawling. I myself feel like screaming hysterically… exactly what on earth is going on? Even my nightmares have never been this bad… 

Is this what Otogi-kun felt like when Honda-kun told him he liked him? Except that wasn't acting… right? I mean, this is just acting… I don't think Kaiba-kun really thinks that. It's just… I have this urge to strangle him. I'm not kidding. How can he do this to me, to anybody? Toying with people's emotions, making them think that something might come out of something that is really nothing at all.

"You confuse me, Kaiba-kun." The words are barely a whisper at that, so it's of no wonder that he doesn't hear me, now smiling broadly at poor Tetsuji who is probably confused on why the mean brown-haired man is suddenly being nice. Luckily for little Tetsuji, who is merely confused rather than dumbfounded and getting a headache from Kaiba-kun's maniacal mood swings, I can only stare at him, blinking back the tears of frustration.

Atsoko-chan blinks sleepily and looks at me with such innocence in her large green eyes when a stray tear plops onto her face. She looks so sweet, and I can only hope that she never gets pulled into something like this.

"You won't be as much of a baka as I am, will you?" I ask softly, voice barely audible over Tetsuji's sudden loud squeals of joy. Kaiba-kun (I'm not kidding) is swinging him around as if he was playing airplane with him… then again, that is exactly what he is doing.

Atsoko-chan's face scrunches up in confusion and I laugh, giving her a finger to play with, which she instantly reacts to by grabbing it in a tight little fist.

Such pure innocence… I've never seen so much innocence and sweetness packaged into such a cute little package.

_How _disgusting_._

I decide to ignore my Yami on this point, seeing that he really isn't the type who should be allowed to judge anything dealing with innocence. Which I'm sure will send him into a mental sulk, and I seriously hope he's not listening into my thoughts still or I'll be eating out of traction for the rest of my life (of course, I know he really wouldn't do that, seeing that he needs an able body, but if he loses his temper, who knows what he'll remember?).

My face is feeling extraordinarily warm, which is a sure sign that somebody is watching me (yes, I realize this is a weird sensing system, but that's how it works…), causing me to look up only to come face to face with Kaiba-kun, who has stopped spinning Tetsuji around (probably because he's starting to look a little green, and I don't think Kaiba-kun wants to deal with baby vomit on his nice clothes).

We kinda look at each other for a moment, as if waiting for the other person to break the silence. I know for a fact that I will never be able to because as soon as I open my mouth, I'm sure something really stupid will come popping out, and I know for a fact that saying something extremely stupid combined with an oddly emotional Kaiba is really not a good thing right now.

Suddenly, out of the blue, the silence is broken when poor little Atsoko-chan starts crying. It's not as bad as Kaiba-kun with Tetsuji, of course, but the fact that she's crying is still there. Kaiba-kun stares at me with disbelief, a kind of 'what could you have possibly done?' look that makes me like a saint who has just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

A strange smell makes itself known, and I grimace as Atsoko-chan keeps crying. Wordlessly, I hold her out to Kaiba-kun, who also (and in record time) notices the strange smell.

If he didn't have Tetsuji in his hands, I think he would have folded his arms and tried to look as imposing as possible. Unfortunately for him, it's difficult to do that when you have a baby in your arms, so he has to settle for giving me one of his 'no _WAY_' looks.

"No."

"But Seto," I say in the most innocent voice I possibly can. Maybe if I add a pout and blink Bambi eyes at him, it would work better. Or maybe I should start crying too. Who knows, it might win me a free overseas ride to America.

"You saw her change him too! You can do it!" he replies heatedly, although there is a tone of pleading in his voice that I have never heard before, not even when the Ultimate Dragon was crumbling before his eyes and he was about to lose his duel to save Mokuba against Yuugi.

"But Seto," I continue as innocently as I can, "Michelle-san said _you_ had to change the next one. Not me."

"No," he replies through gritted teeth.

~ * ~

When Michelle-san returned, it was a little after Seto… I mean Kaiba-kun… had managed to get the dirty, grimy diaper off Atsoko-chan. I suspect that she hadn't really expected him to ever have to change a diaper (seeing how she just changed Tetsuji and how I'm here…) because she burst out into a fit of hysterical laughter once she got a good look at him and his expression after he had gotten a good whiff of the mess Atsoko-chan made. That, as expected, does nothing to improve Kaiba-kun's mood whatsoever.

"I don't see what's so funny," he grumped sourly when Michelle-san finally decided to pity him and take care of Atsoko-chan, especially after he messed up repeatedly.

"Maybe when you're older," Michelle-san replied sweetly (a sarcastic sweetly, granted), "You'll start to understand the sadistic streak that runs in us, some deeper than others."

Kaiba-kun immediately gets the 'get me out of here _now'_ look. I fully expect Michelle-san to start cackling and say something about boiling our livers and feeding it to our heads once she's decapitated us.

"I see you've got the hang of at least being gentle," Michelle-san murmurs absent-mindedly as she takes Tetsuji from us, kinda leaving us both staring.

"Excuse me?" Kaiba-kun sputters.

"Did I say something?" Michelle-san replies innocently, giving me a big wink that I'm sure Kaiba-kun couldn't have missed even if he was blind. Although I suppose it's a wasted effort, seeing that I have no idea what on earth she's trying to tell me in that gesture.

Then she effectively causes my world to crash around me with just a few simple words. "Anyhow, I'm letting the two of you go early."

"Why?" Kaiba-kun and I chorus, a hint of panic in both our voices.

"Why?" she echoes, looking genuinely surprised, "Well, it's because the two of you have done more in the past hour than most of the volunteers do in their entire lives. Despite what we try to tell them, this isn't just something they do in order to pat a couple kids on the head and look good to the reporters. Besides, this is supposed to be a learning experience, and I think you have both learned plenty."

"Learned?" I squeak out. _Learned what?!?!_

"It's only half an hour, you two. I'm sure you can find something to entertain yourselves," she shoos us off, the implications of her words causing her to grin insanely and me to blush madly (again with the blushing thing). Kaiba-kun is stoned, standing there staring at her in disbelief.

"The driver won't be coming for another half hour," he finally snaps, causing Michelle to turn around and look at both of us in wonder.

"So?"

"What are we supposed to do for half an hour?" Kaiba-kun's voice rises to a high-pitched demand, certainly something I've never seen before. Jyounouchi-kun will have a field day with this…

That's when I realize what is making Kaiba-kun so agitated. He doesn't want to be stuck with _me_ for half an hour… alone. I feel the blood draining from my face, the knowledge that he just doesn't want to be stuck with _me_ for a measly half hour enough to screw around with anybody's day. Why on earth did he ask me to do this, I really want to just _scream_ that at him until I get an answer right _now_.

"Well, when I was dating my husband, we liked to goof around, sit down and talk, eat ice creams, watch sunsets… there's some tables out by the park and an ice cream vendor. Why don't you two go do that?"

"What?" Kaiba-kun repeats for the umpteenth time. I've decided to temporarily drift in a pleasant place where sound (and therefore humiliation due to something your extremely unloving koi has decided to say) does not penetrate. It's not too bad, if I say so myself.

"Out," Michelle-san jabs a finger outside with firm conviction, "Go have fun." She peers at us both critically, "You both can use it."

Then before either of us are quite sure of what she's doing, let alone protest her actions, she's shoved us both outside and slammed the door in our expressionless/vaguely shocked faces.

"I guess I'll call the driver and ask him to come earlier," Kaiba-kun finally proclaims without even sparing me a glance. Am I really that detestable to him? I decline to reply as he jabs his finger into the cell's key pad, cursing softly under his breath as he brings it up to his ear and waits for somebody to pick up.

Which, I suppose rather unexpectedly, nobody does.

We just stare at each other in absolute surprise, as if waiting for somebody to shatter the scene with a mallet and have reality come crashing down on our heads.

"What the hell?" Kaiba-kun snarls, glaring at the offensive piece of technological murder, "He doesn't have his cell phone turned on!"

That's probably because you told him you would be picked up at noon, no exceptions. Although I have a feeling that the 'no exceptions' part of your loud ranting dealt mainly with no exceptions of him staying _after_ noon, rather than the (heaven forbid) possibility of being let out early. I mean, can you honestly blame the poor guy for not having his cell phone on? Great, he's probably going to get fired too, considering how pissed Kaiba-kun looks.

"Why don't we go sit down for a while, Kaiba-kun?" I venture meekly, gesturing vaguely at the benches that Michelle-san had mentioned. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to mention that they are topped by the ugliest umbrellas I have ever seen in my life, and that includes the many different schools I went to on rainy days, beaches, books, and movies.

"…" I can sense his doubts on the ugly umbrella… it really is a hideous thing. Whoever made it must have been colorblind, I suppose, and whoever chose it must have felt extremely sorry for the creator (or perhaps was colorblind himself… or herself). It has these just plain _ugly_ maroon strips interchanging with hot green strips. The entire thing is dotted with enough spots to make you get dizzy and puke, the dots not being a particularly pretty color themselves (not unless sewage is the newest fad, which I suppose I am in no condition to comment on).

For the second time today, he sighs and turns off the cell phone, shoving it roughly into his coat jacket with this self-suffering look on his face. I bite my lip to keep from demanding to him if he is suffering _so_ much, why didn't he just tell Emi-san that he was gay instead of going through with this huge façade? Honestly, it would have been much easier (and not to mention a thousand times less painful) on both our behalves. Did that idea just never _occur_ to him or something? I find that hard to stomach, for more reasons than one.

Then he just takes my hand and leads me over to the table with the ugly umbrella, his grip firm but still gentle in that way he always manages to do (somehow). My face (once again looking like something you can fry an egg on, to be cliché) burns as he seats me down, making me feel remarkably like a china doll that is about to break, a strange tenderness in his eyes that just serves to confuse me (par usual).

For a moment, we just sit there, Kaiba-kun looking much more relaxed than I as I sit there as stiffly as the wooden doll whose nose grew every time he told a lie. If my nose did that, I wouldn't be able to see anything in front of me for three meters.

Casually ignoring everybody staring at us, Kaiba-kun just sits there, seemingly impervious to the looks we're attracting. You know, despite the 'special' status I have gained as Kaiba-kun's koi, I don't really feel much different from when we weren't acting. He's still as distant as ever, although there are sides of him that I never would have expected to see. You know, if somebody ever wanted to blackmail Kaiba-kun with information on his emotional life and couldn't get a hold of Mokuba, I think they'll be coming after me… Although that certainly isn't necessarily isn't a good thing.

"We have twenty-five minutes left," Kaiba-kun jumps into my thoughts with that oh-so-startling revelation, "Maybe he'll get here early."

"…" I decide not to reply, lest I say something we all regret.

"Have you ever read Saint Tail [2]?"

I nearly fall off the bench and collapse, although a huge sweatdrop shows up on the back of my head, "Wha… WHAT?!"

Now, I don't wish to sound rude to the people who like that manga, but it's just that… well, Saint Tail is for _girls_. And this is Kaiba Seto who's talking about it… I don't know, it might just be me, but it just sounds really weird coming from Kaiba-kun… I mean, it was odd enough finding out that he's gay (who could ever have expected that?!), but… but… but… okay, I know I look like a girl and everything (and as for those two billion people currently laughing at me, STOP IT!), but that doesn't mean I've been reading girl comics recently!

"The main characters in that manga blush a lot," Kaiba-kun shrugs, smiling at me oddly, "You're always blushing these days too. It just reminded me of that."

A strangled reply tries to make its way through my throat, but gets impossibly stuck in the process.

"And they choke a lot too," he finishes, emphasizing his point with a cocky grin. It takes all my effort not to get up and cream him.

"Since when do you read girl comics?!" I finally exclaim, not even caring if he gets annoyed by the question. I mean, seriously! I wouldn't even expect Kaiba-kun to have time to read any comics, and certainly not _girl_ comics if it came down to it!

Kaiba-kun just grins insolently, causing me to want to plaintively wail. I mean, jeez, why didn't it just _occur_ to me that certain millionaires read shoujo manga [3] in their free time? For crying out loud, I didn't even know he was gay! So why _didn't_ it occur to me?

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Ryou," Seto shakes a finger at me, and I clench my hands into fists to keep from ripping his finger off.

He looks almost like he's getting drunk or something. Or is this merely a natural high that he gets from freaking out his supposed koi? I wonder if he goes around freaking out the people he works with (or the people who work for _him_, to be more precise) by his interesting little habits? Does Mokuba know? I wonder what Jyounouchi-kun will say when he finds out (cause he _will_ find out… par usual)… I have a feeling that the next time Kaiba-kun calls him a zako [4] or make inu or any one of those pet names he particularly enjoys calling him, he will _seriously_ be regretting it… and if Jyounouchi-kun does not meet an untimely death at Kaiba-kun's hands, I'm pretty sure that _I_ will.

And I mean, duh, Kaiba-kun, of course there is so much odd things about you that I never would have suspected. It's not like you've ever opened up to me, right? You weren't even that close to me in the entirety of high school. Of course, that might be because you were too busy challenging Yami-kun or making fun of Jyounouchi-kun, but I might as well have been invisible when it came to you taking the time to notice my pathetic existence. Again, I am having an unexplainable urge to yell "DIEEE!" and attack him.

"I think the same could be applied the other way around, Kaiba-kun," I answer, resting my arms on the table, trying my best to get comfortable.

He just nods absent-mindedly, not even bothering to correct me on my 'improper' use of his name, instead deciding that it was more important to take one of my hands.

Nanda?

Kaiba-kun looks lost for a second, staring blankly at a spectacularly interesting trash can behind me (at least I think there's one there… either that, or Kaiba-kun is starting to take hallucinogens again), as he tries to get his thoughts together.

"I bought Mokuba this giant stuffed Pikachu for his birthday. I don't even know why he asked for it, but I think he just wanted to see me carrying it to him," he suddenly says, rolling his eyes at the memory and causing me to grin slightly, "He had people taking pictures. If the press ever gets hold on them, I'll probably go after every one of them… although you can barely see me, just my arms wrapped around this giant stuffed electric rat."

"Oniisan's girlfriend loves unicorns. So every year, he buys her one for her birthday, but the problem is that she already has all of the ones he gives her. She told me herself," I smile sympathetically.

"Hmm, and there's Yami's insane obsession with that stuffed seal… [5]"

"Yuki," I supply innocently, causing Seto to blink at me, "Well, that is its name."

"He _named_ it?"

"Oh yes. I heard he was toying between Yuki and Baka Kaiba…" Okay, so I got that information from Jyounouchi-kun, who was shaking his head about the spirit's lack of imagination when it came to names, and wanted Yami-kun to name Yuki 'Baka Kaiba' instead of 'snow'. Another one of those cases where I'm _extremely_ glad that Yami-kun does not take advice on these types of matters from Jyounouchi-kun.

"I can't believe he named it…" Kaiba-kun kinda shakes his head as he tries to contemplate the concept of a 5,000 year old spirit naming a stuffed animal depicting an animal he most likely had never seen in his entire life. I have to admit, the story _is_ a bit hard to swallow… "Wait… waitasecond! What did you say he was going to name it instead of?!"

"Nothing," I hastily reply.

"Ryou," he growls playfully, giving me a mock ferocious look that makes me want to laugh.

"He was considering naming it 'Seto is a Great and Wonderful Person'," I can't help but tease back, "But the name was simply too long, and even shortening it to 'Great and Wonderful Seto' made it a bit redundant, so he decided on Yuki."

Kaiba-kun laughs.

I can only stare as he laughs… _laughs_. I don't know if even I fully understand the magnitude of such an event, but he's… laughing.

It starts off small, just a bit of chuckling, but it continues to increase in volume until it is actual laughter. I cannot for the life of me remember when was the last time he was laughing like this… happily, rather than arrogantly.

I feel as if the pieces are falling into place… although the problem is that I don't really know what the pieces are, nor do I know what the picture is supposed to be.

Later, when I look back at this, I'm sure I'm going to be confused again. Although I have to admit that I'm used to it by now, what with Kaiba-kun's insane ups and downs that happen so fast that I'm still reeling from the last one while he's already on the next one.

But as for now, I feel almost… complete. Satisfied. It might have been better if there wasn't a little part of me screaming loudly, "WHY?!" 

Because for a second… for one, quick, fleeting, _glorious_ second, I believed that all of this was real…

~ * ~

The chauffeur was right on time, but he started to quake when he saw that Kaiba-kun and I were sitting at the table, looking decidedly comfortable after having been there for all too long. He continued to shake, trying to control the tremors as much as possible as Kaiba-kun swept toward him, me following like a ragged blankie.

A rather short car trip later, the inside of the car completely silent as we all tried to make ourselves invisible (except Kaiba-kun, who not only has no interest in doing such a thing, but would most likely find it impossible seeing how so many people know him), I found myself in front of my the building where my afternoon class is. And no, I have no idea how Kaiba-kun knew which one was my class, but I'm too afraid to ask.

"Arigatou, Kaiba-kun," I mumble almost incoherently as I get out of the car (I suppose 'dash' or 'flee' from the car would be more appropriate…).

Then, really on impulse, before the door gets ample opportunity to close on my face, I lean in and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Just a peck, really, seeing that I'm really not brave enough to go any farther or longer than that. Also, something that quick could not be broken off no matter how nervous I get, seeing that it is over before I can fully realize exactly what I was doing.

Kaiba-kun looks shocked for a moment, and if his expression changed, I would never know it. Embarrassment and fluster quickly takes over, and I flee towards the building without a second glance behind me, ignoring all the stares I'm attracting from people passing by.

As I run through the door into the confining hallways of the construction, my heart beats wildly and I try to erase all the emotions I've felt in that small kiss.

Dreams are such wonderful things. Pearls and jewels are expensive and seemingly important. But I would give all the wealth in the world, trade every fancy object away simply for the pleasure of having Kaiba-kun open up to me as he did today.

Even if it would have to be under that ugly umbrella.

Translations and Notes (is it me, or does this chapter have a LOT of notes?!)

[1] What?

[2] Saint Tail is a manga by Megumi Tachikawa about an eighth grade thief who uses magic, Haneoka Meimi, who's like a modern-day Robin Hood. She likes a boy in her class, Asuka Jr., who also happens be assigned to capturing Saint Tail. ^_^ It's really cute!. I know it's really random in this fic, but I was in a bit of writer's block and couldn't think of anything to write!

[3] Manga for girls, i.e. Saint Tail and Cardcaptor Sakura. Yu-gi-oh is actually considered to be a guy comic, but a lot of girls read it.

[4] Small fish (another pet name of Seto's… -_-;;)

[5] *coughs* My one and only shameless self plug. It's from my other fic, "Kody". I don't expect you to read it, don't worry. Actually, this isn't as much of an advertisement of my old fics as a big hello to Yuki! *squeals and hugs stuffed seal* KAWAII!

Lance *points at PM, who is grinning maniacally*: What's wrong with her?

Jyou: She thinks this chapter sucked.

Keel: It might just be me, but I've noticed that when PM thinks a chapter is bad, she screeches and raves madly about how she's a bad writer and can't write for beans.

Koushiro: Maybe she got plastic surgery for the occasion…

PM: *GRINNING before taking in HUGE breath* I GOT THE SUBTITLED YU-GI-OH! Yes, I know you people already know that, but I am SO happy! 62 BEAUTIFUL EPISODES! I got to hear Ryuuji's voice! I got to watch the cuts! I got to hear Pegasus say 'Kaiba-boy' in that funny way Kei-kun imitates! I got to understand what's going on in certain parts! And I got to hear Ryou's girly voice!

Ryou *knocks PM unconscious with a huge anime mallet*

Yue: O.O Remind me never to piss you off… 

Pikachumaniac (who is currently unconscious…)


	7. Level Two

Disclaimer: Are tests sellable?

Fairydust

PM: I will not complain about the last chapter because if I do, I think people will come after me. Anyhow, for this chapter, which is mainly fluff, it takes place on Wednesday night (skipped the afternoon cause nothing really happens). Now this chapter _really _sucked. I'm not kidding. I wasn't satisfied with it AT ALL even though my beta-reader said it was okay… not as good as the last chapters, but still okay. So I decided to rewrite the chapter… kept some of the beginning, but changed the rest (except for some of the end). Hope it's better now… and don't get on my case about me having bad self-esteem! ^^;;

King Snookums: But it's true… wait… *notices something new* WHAT THE HECK?!

PM: *innocent look* What is it, King Snookums?

Yue: Why is Yami being called King Snookums?

King Snookums (aka Yami no Yuugi): PM! GET BACK HERE AND CHANGE THIS RIGHT NOW!

PM *sniffles*: No. *pauses before maliciously whispering* King Snookums.

King Snookums: I'm a spirit who's been locked in a piece of metal for 5000 years, and now you strip me of my dignity?!

PM: I think I did that a longgggggggggggg time ago, King Snookums. (And I got the idea from Akaiblush! ^_^)

Minna-san, arigatou gozaimasu for those absolutely wonderful reviews. You are all just wonderful. Special thanks to pinkangelsakura for helping me figure out this chapter's event, and many thanks to Mariel for beta-reading… Poor dear, having to deal with the likes of me! And I just want to lend out a grateful thanks to Wildwolf-san, Ruri-chan, and Abby for dealing with me through e-mail and IM. *hugs* The conversations I have with the three of you have been great, and I am grateful to this story for allowing me to meet three wonderful people. So anyhow, many thanks to juvi (^_^), The Evil Laugh (I'll help you out here and tell you that I only update once a week… usually on Sunday), … blank? (here, here, here it is), Ginny (Seto: I will never change diapers again…), Shamanic Guardian Lena (I found the episodes on a site called… um… Animeniacs or something. 60 bucks for two DVD sets. If you e-mail me, I'll send you the direct link… if you'd rather not, I'll try to remember to post it in the next chapter), Wildwolf (*drooling* Yami-kun in chains… *swoon*), Ruri-chan (~sparkles~ You like me! You really like me! *gets knocked on the head by Ryou wielding Yami's mallet* Yami: Why don't I ever get to use it?), *i n c o h e r e n t* (The sequel won't be up until after I finish this fic… and finish part one… and still haven't exactly done that yet… man oh man, I am pathetic), dilanda (My crowning achievement…. I got Ryou to kiss somebody! *insert a long bit of squeals*), sliverlaugh1155 (once a week! Once a week! The reason why I do that is because I don't want to leave you dangling for any longer!), Bloody Shinigmi (^_^ Your review made me laugh so hard! And I can type quite quickly… but the ideas take a bit longer to come along ^_~), Kiki Jones (:P Send me an e-mail of all your favorite parts then! Ryou: Stop basking in your own glory, you loser. PM *sniffles* So mean…), Ishi Tatsu (Ryou: I don't find this at all fun. Seto *evil grin* I do!), Mejika (*hugs Mejika* Thanks soooo much… your review meant a lot to me), tuulikki (I made your day? ^_^ I'm glad!), and Bronze Eagle (Ryou: I'm not clueless… PM: Whatever). ^_^ Thank you all, and I hope this chapter doesn't dissapoint you!

~ Level Two ~

An auction, as defined for practical uses, is an event where things that were created for the sole purpose of collecting dust in a home or museum are sold for outrageously expensive prices that could feed a family of ten for the span of several years, simply for the soul purpose of sitting in a house or museum and collecting dust or growing a family of ten comprised of mold. Note that the definition is merely for practical purposes; I am sure that in this case, Webster would beg to differ. However, I for one am sure that this is the _true_ definition judging from what I'm seeing now.

Even as I speak, somebody is willing to pay enough money to buy a small house in the country for a plate that looks as if it could be bought on the flea market… ten for a hundred yen. Much to my own pleasure, though, is that Kaiba-kun has yet to bid on anything, although it does bring up that ever-present question of why we have to be here. Who knows, maybe after this is over, Kaiba-kun will be auctioning me off to somebody else who needs to get rid of an unrelenting pursuer.

I wouldn't be surprised.

Forgive me for being so cynical, but class wasn't exactly what could be termed as relaxing. The teacher, for some odd reason, seemed to have a grudge against Kaiba-kun, and he had no problem in taking his aggressions out on myself. As a result, even those who have not caught a glimpse of any headlines of gossip magazines when on the streets or waiting in line in those overly crowded supermarkets close to the college campus now know what is going on between Kaiba-kun and me. Kind of.

Unless somebody managed to get a hold of Jyounouchi-kun and he told them all about how it's all a fake. Which I suppose wouldn't surprise me very much, seeing that Jyounouchi-kun has a tiny problem of keeping his mouth shut in these types of situations. For example, the time he told everybody who would listen to him (without thinking he was insane, at least) that Yami-kun used to have a crush on the Black Magician. That was certainly not a good situation, for either Yami-kun or Jyounouchi-kun. I believe it was worse off for Jyounouchi-kun though because soon after, we found him dangling upside down from a street sign, tied and gagged, with a very calm Yami-kun watching with a somewhat serene yet completely sadistic grin on his face.

Is it just me, or does Jyounouchi-kun's big mouth have a tendency of getting himself into a lot of trouble?

Anyhow, it took a very long time to get Jyounouchi-kun down from there, taking the combined efforts of Honda-kun, Otogi-kun, and myself. Yami-kun refused to allow Yuugi-kun to take over and help, while Anzu was under the opinion that Jyounouchi-kun deserved the punishment. It took about an hour for us just to convince Yami-kun to simply let us close enough to Jyounouchi-kun to help him.

I am very pleased to announce, though, that Jyounouchi-kun didn't blurt out anymore of our secrets for another week.

Anyway, getting back to what happened in class, it eventually got to the point that I was ready to throw my textbook at the teacher's head, willing to endure any type of punishment merely to hear the lovely 'conk' sound the concept of a very heavy book hitting somebody's head was sure to make.

As delightful as a story that would make right now, I'm not going to go into it at the moment. Let's just say that it's a very good thing that I only go to that class once a week, although it might be a while longer before the professor forgets that bruise.

So I just watch the auction's progress, completely bored out of my mind, as a painting that a three-year old could create is auctioned off for more money than I'll ever possess in the entirety of my life. I don't care what the experts say, but I will never understand the symbolism and deep moral meanings behind a painting of a blue curve (PM: my art history teacher will have my neck for that quip).

Anyhow, a couple minutes later, somebody is now the proud owner of a picture of a blue curve, and the next ludicrously priced object is placed on the mantle.

If you think I wanted to kill Kaiba-kun before, you should look at me _now_.

Also, I cannot forget to mention that these are the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in. They appear to be _built_ for discomfort, and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that they were bought at an auction, each for a price that is ridiculously high. I mean, honestly, if you're going to cram a bunch of people into an already cramped space, you could at least give them a little breathing room and at the very, very, _very_ least, comfortable seats.

"Who buys this kind of stuff?" I mumble softly, watching in absolute fascination as another overly priced piece of _junk_ is sold off. And I thought otousan was bad about buying stuff… gold pendants with evil spirits not withstanding.

"Lots of people," Kaiba-kun replies evenly, sounding very annoyed with me already. Good god, if I'm trying to set a record for annoying him out of his mind in record time, I'm doing a really good job.

"Like you?" the two little words rush out before I can cram them back into my mouth and zip it shut. Or better yet, use super glue.

Kaiba-kun just smirks, reminding me very much of Yami Bakura (which is most certainly NOT a good thing!), "Perhaps."

Don't tell me. Not only is this where you bought the giant stuffed Pikachu for Mokuba, but where you buy the skulls of long deceased kings to add to your collection, and mine will be joining theirs soon. Why? Well, because in truth, you're having an affair with the auctioneer! Of course! Why didn't I ever think of that?!

Yes, I'll like to order, waiter. Some rice and curry with a side of a reality check, thank you very much.

~ * ~

He ditched me… I _cannot_ believe he ditched me!

Okay, so it's not that much of a stretch of imagination, but knowing that doesn't make the situation any better. I'm starting to feel kind of annoyed that Kaiba-kun just ditched me, but I guess I should just get used to it. He probably went to go talk to Yoshizawa-san during the break, ignoring his 'poor, pathetic' koi to deal with the situation himself.

I sip nervously at my cup of tea as I try to blend into the background… I read a story about this insane woman who eventually thought she was this old woman who escaped from these sheets of yellow wallpaper. At the end of the story, she started ripping away strips of the paper and screaming at her husband that she had escaped and no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't going to put her back in. [1]

Whenever I read that story, it makes me wonder what type of life she must have had to make her go to such extremities, to believe such things in the short span of two months. To be neglected by her husband, to be treated as a helpless infant? Perhaps in a way, she truly did escape at the end of the story, although she escaped through her insanity.

To become free… through insanity… is it worth it? Is anything worth it in the long run? As I lean against the wall, taking in the views and feeling like an intruder in a life I never should have need to belong to, I feel as if I am nothing more than a specter or ghost, trying to discover the truth in life.

If there even is one.

Escape can be defined in a variety of ways, I suppose. I would like nothing more than to escape this world. I don't belong, I don't know if I want to. Although such barriers have long been thought gone, will they ever be gone until true equality is established? What right does one have to spend lavish amounts of money on finger paintings when there are people starving in a distant country?

By pretending they aren't there, it doesn't mean they're erased from existence.

I think I'm starting to get a headache.

My thoughts start to wander again to that ever-present question. What possibly could have possessed me to agree to Kaiba-kun's request? Against all common sense, logic, and reasoning, why did I ever agree? Is there a reason, or am I merely a victim to my emotions?

Why did I agree to allow myself to be brought into this trap? To bind myself to an agreement that I neither understand nor agree with? Am I still harboring my pathetic hopes and desires that I refuse to let out?

I kissed him.

Does that mean I love him? Is that why I agreed? I'm starting to break into a sweat… this wasn't supposed to happen. This was simply a favor I did for a friend…

A friend? Don't make me laugh. We're not friends… We're not… 

Anything.

So why did I say yes?

I know I'm a pushover. I know that when somebody tells me to jump, I jump, and when somebody tells me to grovel, I'll grovel. It's not that I have no will of my own, although in a way I suppose that contributes, but… I really don't know what it is. I don't even know what I'm saying!

I think that by now, I've realized that nothing is really going to be the same after this. I know it sounds odd and it has taken me simply way too long to realize such a thing, but the true reality and gravity of the future has not dawned upon me until now.

In less than a week, this will all be over. But how will I have changed in that same week?

The realistic part of me knows that Kaiba-kun will simply be throwing me off after this. Not that I should expect him to do any less. After this week, I will cease to be a part of his existence, and I should be all too happy to comply with his wishes for me to fade into the background.

But the emotional part of me is not about to do that.

Human beings are not really logical beings. Sure, we may claim that we are ruled by logic, but are we really? If so, why do we allow our emotions to escape our check? Perhaps it's odd to be thinking about human nature in the moment, but it's not as if I have anything else to do, is it?

Despite our wishes, we allow ourselves to be ruled by our emotions. Sometimes, people can be more pragmatic and try to restrain those emotions, but ultimately, it eventually escapes our grasp.

Am I waiting for Kaiba-kun to let his emotions loose?

It's come in bits and pieces, merely hints and small situations that end up becoming awkward and most likely annoying to him. But it's been coming out.

Is it because I've never had reason to see him in a different light that I can now see these small escapes of emotions? Or is it something else that I cannot comprehend?

Maybe I'm reading too far into this. It's probably nothing. When I'm involved, it usually turns out to be nothing.

So I have a low opinion of myself. Big deal. But this is life, not fantasy. I'll live. I'll get over it.

…

Do I understand a single word that I just said?

"Ryou? Ryou, are you okay?"

I open my eyes and find myself staring into Kaiba-kun's concerned turquoise eyes. His hand is held out and there is a hint of emotion in his eyes… emotions of what, I don't really know.

Before I can stop myself, I hear myself asking, "Does it even matter?"

There is silence as we stare at each other, his face suddenly turned to stone. The emotion drains out so there's nothing left, as if I'm looking at a statue. Neither of us moves as we stare at each other down, as if waiting for some god to come down and retract those four words.

And of course, we both know it's not going to happen.

Without a word, he grabs my wrist and leads me back to the auction room in stony silence. I'm only too happy to comply with the silence, but being led back to my gilded cage isn't something that I can sincerely say I appreciate.

Perhaps I should have torn down that wallpaper when I had the chance… but now the insane man is going to go back inside, and he'd better be smiling the whole time.

I might as well just kill myself now.

~ * ~

I feel ill by the end of the auction, something that Kaiba-kun does not fail to notice. Whether it's because he senses my discomfort or simply noticed that my face is more pale than usual and slightly greenish, I have no idea. However, cold logic tells me that it is my face color. My guess is that he has no interest in having me throw up on his fancy suit. Not that I can blame him. What a pain in the ass it must be to get that dry-cleaned.

The cold night air is bitterly cold, not much unlike life itself. But that is a completely different story. The effect of the chill is to wake me up slightly, as I was starting to feel groggy from boredom. Not that I dared to fall asleep after making a complete prat out of myself at Kaiba-kun's 'tea for two'. I still feel like getting a stranglehold every time I remember that.

Sighing softly as I look up at the sky, which is shrouded in clouds (not that it would matter… the lights from the city are so bright as to obscure the stars anyway), I try to ignore the distant screaming of Kaiba-kun into his cell phone.

Yes, his cell phone. I swear he's going to marry it someday.

What an interesting sight that would be… Maybe I'll get to be his bridesmaid, seeing that I have a slight suspicion he finds me very girly.

"He's lost." Kaiba-kun's voice is flat and shaking with repressed rage as he sits on the steps next to me, glaring at the offending cell phone, "He's _lost_."

I just stare at him, slowly comprehending the words. He's lost… he's _lost_?! Oh Kami-sama, somebody truly, truly, _truly_ hates me.

After a moment of silence of just staring blankly at each other, he sighs softly and looks away, staring up at the clouds. Maybe he's annoyed with me for accepting the situation in relative calm… yeah, calm, if my mind doesn't stop that racket it's making, I'm going to get a grade A headache.

"Oniisan used to make up stories about the stars," the words slip out of my mouth before I can cram them back in… I've noticed a tendency to doing those types of things lately, although I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Instead of doing the smart thing and leaving it at that, I just barrel on, most likely sounding very much like an idiot, "Unfortunately, he was also fascinated with horror stories at the same time, and preferred to tell stories that would send me bursting into tears and afraid of aliens coming to kidnap me in order to get a look at my intestines."

That is, quite simply put, very much true. You never would have known a kid more scared than I was… although now I have my own horror stories to tell.

I would have expected Kaiba-kun to just brush off my stroll down memory lane, or at the very most give an uninterested 'Oh', but he actually turns to face me.

"Mokuba was like that. Except he didn't manage to scare me," he gives me a crooked smile that looks kinda sweet on his face, "I think he was trying to get revenge on me for convincing him that the Venus fly trap was secretly growing larger in order to come after him one night and eat him."

"Well, that wasn't very nice."

"It wasn't meant to be…" he grins.

I giggle softly, very much like a ditzy school girl.

"True," I admit, "Very much true."

"Do you ever wonder if the stars can tell our future?" Kaiba-kun frowns at his own question, "I never liked the idea that our future is already planned out for us, as if we're puppets and some celestial being is the great puppeteer. I don't like the thought of being manipulated like that."

"Yes, but it's usually much easier to blame your mistakes on fate or some unknown, faceless being rather than admitting your faults to yourself," I can't help but retort simply.

He doesn't reply to that.

Are you thinking that this whole situation was a mistake?

"I'd rather face my own faults," he suddenly interjects, "Then be under someone else's thumb."

Then, unexpectedly, he turns to look at me, those startling turquoise eyes surprisingly soft.

Before I can blush and turn away, he leans forward and kisses me on the lips. The kiss… it's… different from the one at the breakfast. It's not so much out of necessity than perhaps his own decision, and I can't help but get swept up by the sincerity in his movements.

_"I see you've got the hang of at least being gentle."_

Is this what she meant by that?

There's no one around, thank god for that, but I suppose by this point, we've both thrown logic and caution to the winds and succumbed to our emotions.

~ * ~

By the time the driver shows up, sweating nervously and looking like a prisoner about to get his head cut off, Seto has progressed from my face to my neck, his hands gently wrapped around my waist. As for me, I'm more than satisfied to lean against him as he himself leans against the concrete walls that serve as the handrails for the stairs, the both of us seemingly unaware of the world around us.

I don't know what thoughts went through his head when he saw us, nor do I actually want to know. I'm just glad there weren't any reporters around to get a picture of this… or _I_ would be the one facing otousan looking like a prisoner about to get my head cut off.

Seto has pulled my shirt down far enough to reveal where the neck meets the shoulder, and is busily entertaining himself. And me… well, I'm practically purring like a contented cat… a fat, lazy, but very much contented cat.

A soft squeak catches our attention and we both look up at exactly the same time to see the driver, who is staring at us with saucer-sized eyes and looking as if he is witnessing an alien event.

Which, considering who is involved, might be exactly that.

We both freeze and stare at him… of course, he just stares back.

Finally, Kaiba-kun coolly ends the stand-off when he opens his mouth to say, "We'll be there shortly."

He nods, still looking dazed and very much confused, before bowing slightly and walking stiffly to the car… a fast, quick-paced walk with jerky steps that makes him look very much like a robot.

Kaiba-kun and I watch after him for a moment, waiting until he is gone before looking at each other and bursting into simultaneous laughter.

"I'll have to give him a raise for the emotional trauma, most likely," Kaiba-kun smirks as he helps me up, gently pulling my shirt back so I look a bit more decent. It's a good thing my hair is more or less always messed up, although it's nowhere as bad as Yami Bakura's hair.

"It could have been worse," I grin, stealing Otogi-kun's words.

"How?"

I shrug, not really knowing what to say before evilly replying, "It could have been your brother and his virgin eyes."

There's a pause after that as Kaiba-kun contemplates my words.

"I'm not sure he's that innocent," he finally says as he takes me by the hand and leads me to the car, a devious smirk on his face, "At least, I don't think he is… I wonder if I should give him the lecture of the birds and the bees."

"Good grief."

Kaiba-kun laughs again. And if I didn't join in the laughter, I would be wondering if he had been feeling a bit off lately.

However, I will be the first to admit that it is a very nice feeling.

~ * ~

"What the _hell_ is that?!"

I freeze at Jyounouchi-kun's question, guiltily turning around to look at him and fighting the blush off my face, innocently asking, "What, Jyounouchi-kun?"

He couldn't possibly have found out about the scene at the auction house, could he?! The driver wouldn't have sold the story, would he?! Kaiba-kun would have been able to bribe him enough, right?!

Try to forget unfortunate situation with waiters on first night…

Oh crap.

Before I can even finish that thought process though, Jyounouchi-kun strides up to me, grabs my arm, and points at the offending…

"HICKEY! You have a _hickey!_" Jyounouchi-kun roars as I resist the urge to roll my eyes… yes, just _tell_ the whole world, why don't you?

"Jyounouchi-kun," I sigh (with a very whiny edge to my voice) while quickly covering up the mark with my shirt, "Don't overreact already!"

"Overreact?! You have… a… a…" he gestures at my neck, apparently unable to get the extremely offensive word out of his mouth, "I can't believe it! I just…" he pauses and gives me one of his looks, staring at me as if trying to probe me for all my hidden secrets.

"You guys haven't gotten to level three, have you?"

"Level three?" I was about to ask what it is too, but Otogi-kun beat me to the rush. He stares at us with a raised eyebrow, his green eyes looking back and forth from us as he casually steps into the room, "What on earth is that?"

"Don't get him started…" Anzu mutters, her and Yuugi-kun joining our happy little get-together, but it's already too late. Jyounouchi-kun has already seated me down on the bed, grabbed Otogi-kun and seated him on the chair, before he rushes over and ends up standing over the both of us as if he is some angry general and we didn't shine our shoes properly.

"I can't believe you two don't know what level three is!" Jyounouchi-kun glares at us, obviously exasperated with our innocence (wait, let me rethink that… Otogi-kun… innocent? I know he's not out everyday, but he would be the last one for me to expect to be _innocent_… and from the look on Yuugi-kun's face in the doorway, even he is clearly privy to this classified information). Otogi-kun and I glance at each other, shrug, and look back at him with the same mockingly innocent looks in our eyes. 

"Oh, please enlighten us Jyounouchi," he smirks, but apparently Jyounouchi-kun failed to notice the sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Level one is hand-holding, the occasional kiss, and splitting the check in half," Jyounouchi-kun starts listing off on his fingers as I roll my eyes. Well, does that mean we skipped level one? If the check was ever split in half, I wouldn't be able to pay for my own meals for the rest of the term. Otogi-kun seems to be sharing the same thought process as we look at each other again and just shake our heads. At the doorway, Yuugi-kun and Anzu are struggling not to laugh at our situation… remind me to put frogs in their beds later.

"Level _two_ is… _that!_" Jyounouchi-kun gestures at me… or more correctly, my neck. This time I blush and refrain from saying anything, lest I cause Jyounouchi-kun to panic even more.

"So what is this fabled level three?" Otogi-kun drawls, looking at him expectantly. Jyounouchi-kun huffs and crosses his arms, looking at the two of us as if we are idiots.

"Since you don't know already, you are obviously too innocent to know and I will not be the one to dirty your minds!" he decides, causing both Otogi-kun and I to collapse on the floor in peevishly twitching piles.

"Jyounouchi!"

"Jyounouchi-kun!"

Jyounouchi-kun ignores our exasperated yells, sticking a finger in my face.

"You will _not_ be reaching level three," he says firmly. I resist the urge to imitate that fluffy stuffed animal in Cardcaptor Sakura and bite his finger. That ought to teach him.

"But Jyounouchi," Otogi-kun blinks big Bambi eyes at him, causing Yuugi-kun and Anzu to burst into hysterical laughter (I would be laughing too, but the innocent act needs to be maintained at the moment), as he continues in a sugary sweet voice, "You still haven't explained to our virgin ears what level three is!"

"Level three," he glares at us as if he is a great god giving us mere mortals information that should not be heard, "is, simply put, having an intimate relationship with your significant other. Which," he gives me a pointed look, "Kaiba is _not_."

"So it's having sex?"

"OTOGI!"

"What?"

Yuugi-kun and Anzu just laugh harder.

"YOU TWO ARE NOT HELPING!" Jyounouchi-kun roars.

Otogi-kun rolls his eyes, "Jyounouchi, you really aren't one to be talking. Wasn't it just yesterday that I heard you talking on the phone with Mai-san and…"

"Urusei!"

"Demo… [2]"

"URUSEI! [3]"

"I got it! Mwaha! I got it!" The room falls deathly still as Honda-kun comes running in the room, yelling at the top of his lungs (I'm surprised the rest of the floor hasn't tried to get the six of us kicked out yet), "A moonlight serenade! I'll _sing_ my love! Yes! That is it! Otogi, I'll…"

There's this long silence as he finally looks at us to get feedback on his plan only to realize that Otogi-kun is sitting right there, staring at him as if he is a ghost come to haunt him. It's rather funny, actually. His face has turned deathly right but his cheeks have turned bright red, and with the deep green color of his eyes, he looks like he could be on an advertisement for Christmas.

It's so much easier to think of somebody else's problems, just as it is easier to blame a faceless being for your problems instead of looking deep within yourself.

After all, there might be things that were better left alone. 

Translations and Notes:

[1] "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I read it in English class. Better than Snow White, at least.

[2] But…

[3] Shut up!

PM: I like this chapter a LOT more now… ^_^ So happy! I couldn't stand the old one… don't say it would have been all right because it wouldn't have! I know I've been whining about the last couple chappies, but that's because I don't think they were as good as the first couple chapters I published. However, I am very satisfied with this chapter, finally. ^_~

Ryou: Oh, and PM is having writer's block with chapter 9…

PM: I'll get over it… I hope… -_-;;; School's been getting a bit more hectic lately, but I'll try to stick to the updating once a week. It's a REALLY good thing I was ahead of myself because now I only have one chapter done ahead (chapter 8), although I'm thinking about going over parts of that one too… maybe… ANYHOW, since these notes are shorter short, I might as well tell you that the reason why I spell Jyounouchi's name with the 'y' is because that's how Kei-kun told me to spell it. In the manga, the character bios have him name with a big 'yo', but in the manga itself, it's a small 'yo'. Since I've been using this spelling for a while and I suppose both ways are acceptable, that's why I've stuck with spelling his name with the 'yo' (although I admit that I'm beginning to suspect it's really Jounouchi… but I guess it's too late to change it… -.- Gomen!).

Pikachumaniac


	8. An Unexpected Twist

Disclaimer: Not likely.

Fairydust

PM: Yeah, I know I've really set them up for a sweet relationship with the last couple chapters… but as I told Ruri-chan, haven't you guys heard of the 'calm before the storm'? Well, that's kinda what that stuff was… in this chapter, it starts to pick up a bit more. ^_~ (Course, it's nowhere as near as evil as chapter 15 is!) Anywho, this chap takes place on Thursday… specifically the morning and afternoon. I'm afraid this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but there's a lot of things going on and there's a reason why I cut it off where I did… Hopefully, the next couple parts will make up for my shortness, although I'm kinda suffering from a bit of writer's block… and I might be slowing down now that SATs and midterms are fast approaching (yes, I do go to school… -_-;;; Unfortunately).

Ryou: You better be nice to us SOMETIME in the story too. *insert cute pout*

PM *crosses finger behind back*: Oh, I will… *cuts off Ryou's protests by shoving him into a closet with Seto* (that's nice, isn't it?) So let's just get things rolling. :P Enjoy!

^_^ Thanks to my wonderful past reviewers: Wildwolf (still in awe of concept of having non-Internet capable fans… please give them my utmost thanks… and the thought of being enlightened by Jyounouchi-kun is quite disturbing), Nalan Li (Thanks for the great big jackhammer… now I can use one for writing position papers for English class! *sheepish grin*), juvi (not as much writer's block now as too much homework and stress… ick), Mayhem's BrainChylde (Don't die on me! I'll feel very guilty ;_;), Angel-Belle (*giggles* Try out Terry Brooks or Terry Goodkind if you're ever in the hankering for a good fantasy book. They're fabulous writers. I personally love reading, which is why fanfiction is so wonderful especially with the utmost state of crappiness our library seems to exhibit), Mejika (sleep is good. Now if only my friends can get that information into their thick skulls), Shan (Originally, I had Jyounouchi being so protective because first of all, I'm a fan of Jyounouchi*Ryou and see evidence of a protectiveness in the manga, and secondly, because Jyounouchi simply seems to be that type of person. Now I realize the most likely reason is probably because he doesn't trust Seto), dilanda (will they get to level 3? That seems to be the question of the update… but I'm not going to answer it!), rayemars (^_~ Wah, this story has got some of the best compliments that I have ever received in the past two years! I'm glad this coupling is actually working… I had my doubts at the beginning, to be truthful… *ducks mallet from Wildwolf* j/k!), *i n c o h e r e n t* (Heehee… Ryou's going to get a lot of his first whatever's in this fic…), Vampire Huntress D (My English teacher loves freaky stories… she more or less started cackling when we all started to freak out about the story. And she wonders why we're so morbid when we're reading stories?), Crystalline Maxwell (If you do draw that scene, let me see! Please let me see! Onegai? *insert a very pathetic bout of begging*), Katu (Heehee… I finally get over writer's block only to get bombarded by homework! Somebody's got it in for me), tuulikki (^_^ I'm just glad this story has survived my evil tendencies of dropping off), Shamanic Guardian Lena (your lazy streak is nothing compared to mine… Just ask Kei-kun!), and Yuki-chan (I never thought I would be able to write a successful fic without any blood or angst! But I'm proven wrong over and over again… something that drives me insane. BTW, my adorable little Yuki says hi too! *stuffed seal waves hi*). ^_^ Thanks all (I hope this long paragraph thing isn't too bad… I just don't want to take up a lot of room by doing this in individual paragraphs, so I hope you don't mind).

And of course, many thanks to Mariel, my wonderful beta-reader.

Also, for those of you interested in the DVDs, here is the link:

http://www.animeniacs.org/anime.html

This is, at least, where I got my DVDs. It's $7 shipping and handling (I think $14 if you go higher than 100?), and it took about a week and a half to arrive. And now I watch my DVDs almost every day… when I can, at least? *falls into squealing stage and hugs Ryuuji*

~ An Unexpected Twist ~

"Seto, I can't. I already told you I can't make it. I have class. You know that." My voice has a stubborn edge that I've never heard before, but Kaiba-kun refuses to give in. I'm at the point where I want to bash his head in and single-handedly extract the part of his brain that is being so pig-headed.

"Yes, I realize that. But this is really important, Ryou."

I sigh and shake my head. In my mind, none of this has been important. I still don't understand why he didn't just _tell_ Emi-san that he was gay. Why this big ploy? It's a question that's driving me insane, and I'm in no mood to get philosophical and say that he _must_ have some type of reason.

And now asking me to miss class? I'm already behind in my studies, I don't need to fall back anymore. Even if this is more important than all the other events combined, I can't just skip class for that.

Perhaps in a way, it goes a bit deeper than that. I've spent the last couple days being harried by reporters, chaperoned by a hysterical Jyounouchi-kun, eyed by a vast female population (whether for better or for worst), and the subject of enough gossip to fill a convoy of garbage trucks stretching to the moon. And I don't want any of it. I think the real issue in this mess is the simple question of when does it end? When do I need to draw the line?

I think that now is that point. I'm drawing the line. I can't give up everything I've done and go tag along him to a place where the patrons think I'm badly dressed and illiterate just because I'm not making a million dollars for writing something down on a piece of paper.

I don't know how Kaiba-kun deals with his life being brought into the open whenever he does something. But I've already devoted enough of my life to helping his. Maybe it sounds selfish and egotistical, but I have had quite enough of all this, and I would just like to go to class and pretend to be the person I was before.

"I can't go, Seto."

"What about our deal?"

My temper flares at that.

"It wasn't a deal," I reply flatly, resisting the urge to stab him with my fork (stupid café only has American silverware… couldn't afford a pair of chopsticks apparently…), "It was a favor. I was trying to do you a favor, not get anything. You can't expect me to be at your beck and call every second of this week!"

"You agreed…"

"I agreed to help you, Seto," I cut him off, "I did not agree to be your mindless lapdog intent on following you around wherever you go. You have to understand that there are limitations! I am not going to be some robot who jumps when he's told to jump and does what he's told to do! I have my own life too, and it's about time you realize that!"

Every single person in the small café is openly staring at us… I might care if I wasn't so angry. And Kaiba-kun isn't exactly helping things.

"It's only once," Kaiba-kun snaps, "You won't die if you miss class once. And it's not like Otogi isn't still going. You can get notes from him."

Does he hear what he's saying?! Tell me that he's joking… sometimes, I think that Kaiba-kun and I live on two totally separate planets whose paths will never intersect.

"So if I have a test, should I just ask him to take that for me too?!"

"You don't have a test," he replies, completely missing the point. And yes, there _was_ one.

"What if I did? Would you go and bribe the professor and ask her if I can just take it later?" I shoot back, "I'm going to class, Seto. I'm not giving up my life because you're asking me to! Why don't you listen?! The words are coming out of my mouth but you don't seem to be hearing any of them! It's like they're going through one ear and out the other! I already told you, this is more than just class. Are you just going to pull me away from all the things I need to do just because you need a little wallflower to stand there and look pretty?! I was _not_ needed all those last times, I don't know why it's suddenly changed! I can't spend the rest of my life following you around and hope for the best. Do you understand that? Do you understand the words that are coming from my mouth?!"

"It's only class, Ryou! Why do you have to be so selfish?"

He doesn't understand. He hears the words but doesn't respond. I feel my face flush at his accusation, and I'm starting to get a splitting headache that has been threatening to strike for the past couple days. I can't think of any other way to get him to understand… god, why doesn't he hear me?! Could it be that I am really so pathetic that he doesn't even want to listen to me? I had been hoping that he would be more open-minded, but he's still a stubborn prick that refuses to comprehend the words I am fair close to screaming at him.

Such knowledge does it for my already very strained patience, and I end up doing something that I have never done before… never even considered doing.

I slap him.

The contact of my hand on his face seems to slow down time almost to the point of standing still.

He looks stunned for a moment, the mark on his cheek reddening. The whispers and murmurs grow more rapid and louder, almost to a maddening level. But the two of us might as well be deaf for all that it matters.

Part of me wants to apologize.

The rest really couldn't care less.

"If you wanted to see the personification of selfish, Kaiba-kun, you should be looking at a mirror, not at me," I finally say acidly, grabbing my books and walking out with every eye in the café on me except his.

_You knew it wouldn't last_, my mind chides me as my eyes water and I feel like crying. I feel like such an idiot… how could I have allowed myself to get so deluded?

_Amazing what a little hope could do to you. Perhaps this will teach you the fabled lesson. Leave your emotions at the door, yadonushi. It might hurt less that way._

I would tell him to shut up if he didn't have the capability to make me wish I was dead. Not that I need much help in that department anyway.

I really hate my life sometimes.

~ * ~

"I'm an idiot."

"Join the club," Otogi-kun grumbles back before running a hand through his messy black hair, "A moonlight serenade? Have you ever heard that guy sing in the shower?"

"Are you implying that you have?"

"Well, yeah… wait… _no_!"

I can't help but grin impishly at Otogi-kun, his misery making mine a little better (you know what they say! Misery loves company, and I've seen the truth in that statement over and over again). At least his isn't the result of a stupid idea of helping a friend who really isn't a friend but somebody who probably had to quickly go look up your name for the occasion. No, you see, it's so much easier to forget about my petty love problems when I think about _his_ petty love problems, seeing that his are so much more exasperating and problematic than mine will ever be (hopefully).

"And you called me a cheater."

"Sorry," I reply unsympathetically, "Remember Otogi-kun, it was the thought that counts. He obviously is still madly in love with you. Why didn't you just tell him?" After all, who was the one that was recently telling me not to pass up the opportunity or I would spend the rest of my life regretting it? I wish I could make him eat his own words, except I'm too miserable to do it very effectively right now.

"Why… why… _you guys_ were there!" he glares at me as if it was our collective faults (which I suppose it was, but I have a feeling he wouldn't have said anything even without our presence to confound and bewilder him).

"Oh. Was that a problem?"

"You know, you're more sadistic than you let on," he huffs, his green eyes dropping back to the little doodle he's making (which looks conspicuously like a certain brunette singing a moonlight serenade), "So what happened?"

Damn. He noticed. Otogi-kun is the only member of our little group of which I have a class with, and I've noticed that when he's ignoring the teacher (which is quite a vast majority of the time, so it seems), he's observing the rest of our class. Something I find particularly odd, especially since he's a pretty good student (okay, so he's a _really_ good student, and I suppose he must have quite a fair share of brains seeing that he did make a successful and wildly popular game…).

Maybe if I play it innocent?

Yeah. And maybe if elephants flew, he might actually believe me!

"Kaiba-kun and I got into a fight." And by tomorrow, if not already there today, it'll be on the front page of every gossip magazine in the country. And perhaps on some of the major ones. As if I didn't need any more problems. Oh Kami-sama, otousan is going to be unhappy… I seriously, seriously hope that okaasan and oniisan never find out about this. I certainly am in no need of anything else for oniisan to torment me with.

"I take it from the tone of your voice that it didn't go too well."

"Oh no, it went just fine. Peachy. We'll probably just avoid each other for the rest of our miserable lives, that's all," I reply caustically.

"Didn't go well at all," Otogi-kun nods, his turn to smile at my misery.

"Oh shut up," I grumble, stabbing at a spot on the table with my pencil, "Like you can do any better."

I regret the words as soon as they come out of my mouth, but he just ignores it.

"You're right. We're both completely clueless when it comes to love. Why, we can't even reply when the person we love confesses to us."

A pause.

Excuse me, what on earth does he think he's talking about? Did his brain just get fried or something?!

"I'm not in love with him," I nearly scream (softly enough so only the two of us heard).

"Excuse me…" a timid voice interrupts, causing the two of us to nearly jump out of our seats to stare at a girl who looks maybe a year or two older than us, large brown eyes blinking innocently, "Are you cheating on Kaiba-sama?"

Otogi-kun chokes on his soft drink mainly due to the phenomenon known scientifically as 'swallowing-while-bursting-into-hysterical-laughter-at-my-problem-good-I-hope-he-dies-cause-it-will-serve-him-right' as I give them both my most menacing glare, which causes the girl to shrink back from my glare (more out of fear of my decreasing sanity rather than any menace on my behalf, I am sure), whiles Otogi-kun just continues to laugh, "Am I not allowed to have any friends without the whole world thinking that we're dating behind Kaiba-kun's back?"

The question is half to myself half to Otogi-kun, who is still coughing as he tries to get a decent breath of air (and I'm not going to help him), but he's too busy trying to breath while laughing hysterically that he doesn't hear it.

"You know," I say after the girl has left (staring at me as if I was insane and needed to be locked up, not that I can blame her) and Otogi-kun has regained his composure, "Nobody would have known me if I hadn't agreed to do this. I would still be nameless and much happier."

"And exactly how long did it take for you to come up with this startling revelation?"

"I will kill you one day, Otogi-kun."

"Sure," he replies, not looking at all disturbed my threat. Which is about as threatening as a marshmellow penguin, so I guess he doesn't really have reason to be troubled.

"I'm not in love with him, Otogi-kun. And I can assure you that after this morning, he is very much not in love with me either," I finally say seriously, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair and wishing I could just die, "I don't know why it hurts so much though…"

Otogi-kun tugs on his dice earring a bit nervously (I don't know why he does it… it can't be because he's worried it's gone, seeing that I'm pretty sure he would notice if a small weight dangling from his left ear was suddenly missing), eyes looking at quite honestly nothing at all, "I wonder what he is thinking right now."

"He's probably forgotten about me already. Probably thinks that he can call me up tomorrow with a new set of demands and pretend that nothing ever happened," I reply glumly, "It was just acting, Otogi-kun. But every time I tell myself that, it doesn't seem to be 'just' that. I sometimes wish it was more."

"I think he likes you."

"And I think you're hallucinating and delusional, but I haven't said that until now, have I?" Pause. "He still thinks this is some type of deal. That I'm going to want something after this is all over. I don't blame him… I wouldn't want something like this dangling over me if it was the roles switched."

"If the roles were switched, you could just tell him how you feel and skip the whole ploy. Why didn't he just tell Emi-chan that he was gay if it was as simple as that?"

"You're reading far too much into this, Otogi-kun."

"Not as much as you think, Bakura-kun."

I'm starting to get a headache again. How does Otogi-kun do this? How can anybody manage to make somebody else feel simpleminded, idiotic, pathetic, and completely renewed with hope all at the same time? The only person who managed to make me feel so many contradicting emotions at once was Kaiba-kun…

What am I saying? I am not in love with him. And I do _not_ want to think about him.

"Otogi-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"If you keep lying to yourself, will you start to believe it?"

He gives me a look, his green eyes cold and calculating. Almost like Kaiba-kun's… oh Kami-sama, I am _so_ pathetic. _Everything_ reminds me of Kaiba-kun right now, down to that umbrella with rubber duckies in the window over there and the giant stuffed Pikachu sitting on a chair with a tea cup in its furry paw. Somebody hates me, somebody seriously, _seriously_ hates me. What is worst about all of this is that I'm having trouble keeping myself from running into the shops and buying all of it…

"No," Otogi-kun finally decides, "No. Or maybe several months is just not long enough."

There's an awkward pause as we both think about his answer (well, at least I am. Otogi-kun could be thinking about the many ways to slaughter and barbecue a squirrel for all I know).

I finally decide to pathetically attempt to lighten the mood.

"Hey Otogi-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever read Saint Tail?"

~ * ~

We finally decided to stop studying (AKA we decided that we had enough moping about our love lives in the fast food restaurant and besides, we were starting to get weird looks from sitting there for several hours and the person cleaning out the bathroom was starting to get extremely friendly to the point where he was hitting on a very creeped out Otogi-kun… a very scary situation, if I may say so) after we had run out of things to talk about, and lo and behold, we did manage to get some work done, thank you very much. The only problem is that I don't remember a single thing we were supposed to be studying, and I have a paper due on Saturday.

Can I be anymore miserable?

"Are you hungry, Bakura-kun?"

"Not really. Griping doesn't build much of an appetite," I answer. In no way is my answer influenced by the fact that we were smelling grease and oil for the past several hours, and now I have this urge to start retching into the toilet as soon as we get back to the dorm.

"It could be worse," he suddenly interjects brightly. I roll my eyes and give him a scathing look that is loudly demanding to know exactly _how_ it could have been worse.

If Otogi-kun had an answer or not I am not exactly sure, but we were both distracted when a car drove up besides us, the window rolling down.

"Bakura-kun! Do you need a lift?"

I just stare at the guy, who, may I add, I have never seen in my life. And it can't be one of otousan's friends because they always call me Ryou-kun or just plain Ryou, as Koushiro-san and Taichi-san do.

"I… I…"

Luckily, Otogi-kun is a bit more quick-thinking than I, and he smiles jauntingly at the man, "Sorry, we need the exercise. Maybe some other time."

Before I can input any of my comments, he pulls me into a small building, slamming the door behind us.

"Hey cuties. Are you looking for a date?" a woman with too big chest in too small dress leers at us, her long vampire-like nails raking across the counter to make a horrid sound, "Or are you looking for a quick buck? I'm sure I can certainly find somebody for both of you, especially with your looks…"

"Otogi-kun!" My voice comes out at a high-pitched squeak as I grab him by his shirt before fair screeching, "Where on earth did you _drag_ us into?!"

"Well, we had to get off the streets _somehow_, didn't we?"

"But… HERE?!"

"Oh… where are we exactly?" he scratches his head, looking around with a surprised expression on his face.

"OTOGI-KUN!" I scream.

"Use some of your common sense, Bakura-kun," he raps his knuckles against my head, causing me to glare at him, "You think that he was offering you a ride from the goodness of your heart? He wants something."

"Are you saying what I thiink you're saying?!" My voice is getting very high again. Oh, this day has just been getting better and better, hasn't it?! First I get into an argument with Kaiba-kun, who probably never wants to see me again for the rest of my life, and then I find out that I have a stalker of some sort. Brilliant!

"Hmm, I'm not quite sure what you're thinking, but I suppose it's on the right track…"

Oh, this is just lovely. Just lovely. "So what are we going to do now?" Besides asking Yami Bakura if he would be willing to go out there and scare the crap out of that guy, I don't think we have much else to do.

"We could stay here for the rest of our lives. That would be the solution to three of our problems."

"Really helpful, Otogi-kun."

"Look, I don't know if you understand this concept, but even if you're just pretending to going at it with Kaiba, that doesn't automatically mean everybody knows that."

"I know that," I snap, quite unsure of exactly where he is trying to go with this revelation. He sighs impatiently, reminding me of Kaiba-kun (argh, not this again), "But I don't understand what you are trying to say."

Otogi-kun gives me a look that makes me feel like a naïve little child.

"Bakura-kun, if somebody dislikes Kaiba, this is a perfect opportunity to get revenge. Pegasus went after Mokuba, and now somebody can go after you. Do you understand what I'm saying?!"

"You think somebody wants to use me to get to Kaiba-kun?" I stare at him.

"Well, I don't think they want your autograph."

"So now what?!" I practically scream. Honestly, can this day get any worse?! Not only is he psychotic stalker, but he might be a psychotic revenge-driven stalker who wants to use me as a tool for vengeance on a guy who I am supposedly dating. Yes, this is definitely going on my list top ten days. Top ten _rotten_ days.

"Um…" Before I can open my mouth to wail pathetically, he taps a random woman's shoulder, "Excuse me Miss, do you have a back door around here?"

"Which one?"

"One that leads to the back?" Otogi-kun blinks a bit cluelessly, looking charmingly innocent with that gesture. Is this what Honda-kun sees in him or something?

The woman sighs and gestures for us to follow her. After traveling through some decidedly odd smelling rooms, we end up at a door that leads to a back alleyway. Otogi-kun makes sure to be very generous in tipping her, somehow convinces her that she does not need his phone number, hurriedly assures her that neither of us is not interested in women, tells her once again that I am not a female and we are not seeing each other (that really ticked me off), and we make our escape through the door (with several eyes watching us in the meanwhile).

~ * ~

"Okay, I am _definitely_ never entering another building without looking at the signs," Otogi-kun announces as soon as the door slams shut.

I can only shake my head before running into something that is cold and metallic.

Oh. Crap.

"You really should have taken my offer," the black-haired man says, smile crooked and extremely annoying, "It would have been a lot easier that way."

It's like something out of the movies… except for the teensy weensy detail that it's _happening right now!_

I don't know about you, but if I was face to face with a gun pointed at a certain vital organ (such as the one that pumps blood to the rest of my body and can cause quite a bit of trouble if stopped), I would shut up, do what the man wants me to do, and then panic hysterically about such a decision.

People might think I'm being cowardly with such an action. They might want to entertain fantasies that they would do something heroic, like grab the gun and duck out of the way before that before-said vital organ was unreversibly stopped (I've heard that a metal slug in it can cause some rather detrimental damage). But when one is face to face with death itself, I think that bravery ceases to have a meaning and a feeling of pragmatism quickly takes over.

Fortunately, we both had completely forgot about Otogi-kun and probably wouldn't remember him unless he does something outrageous and rather foolish… like, say, if he decides to do something like… oh, I don't know… slam his briefcase into the man's head?

Which he quickly proceeds to do.

"He could have shot me," I say numbly as I look at Otogi-kun, who's standing over the downed man, who is groaning from what must be a splitting headache (considering how many books were in that thing, I'm not very surprised… but at least it wasn't Kaiba-kun's metal briefcase… STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM!!).

"He didn't," Otogi-kun replies lightly, "Besides, I doubt he'd would have wanted to add murder to his kidnapping record."

Well, that's _really_ reassuring, I want to grumble back darkly.

"Otogi-kun, behind you!"

He turns around but it's too late; the second assailant slams the butt of his gun on Otogi-kun's head with a sickening crack, causing him to drop to the ground, unconscious.

"Otogi-kun!" I yell his name again, running over to his comatose body (or at least trying to) when I end up tripping and falling, sprawling onto the ground in a rather ungainly heap. Well, to be precise, I didn't simply trip and fall (even I'm not that clumsy, thank you very much), as demonstrated by the first guy's grip on my ankle. He had somehow managed to get over the nausea caused by Otogi-kun's blow to perform any action whatsoever. Before I can even try to shake him off, the brunette who knocked out Otogi-kun comes up, restraining my arms in a grip like iron and pulling me up to a standing position.

My struggles are next to useless, and next thing I know, a cloth with a sickly sweet smell is being pressed against my face and the only thing I can breath is the strange smell.

Instantly, I start to feel dizzy, and my limbs start to feel numb. Somewhere in my mind which is quickly fogging up comes the realization that the cloth must have been drenched in chloroform, which would nicely explain this weakening sensation I'm experiencing…

I continue to struggle weakly, but I might as well be trying to keep the sun from rising. In the foggy haze, I see one of the men picking up Otogi-kun's unconscious body before my vision starts to blacken. No longer able to stand on my own, I would fall if it wasn't for somebody keeping me from ending up on the ground.

My mind reaches for the first thing that comes to mind, a life saver to keep myself from drowning, from blacking out.

… Seto…

Translations and Notes:

THERE ARE NONE! MWAHA!

PM: Will you believe this chapter was written in about a day?

Jyou: I'll believe it. That was a crappy chapter.

PM *twitches*: I thought muses were supposed to _inspire_…

Jyou: Then go place an ad in the newspaper. We're not your muses!

PM: Whatever… *glares at Seto* This is all your fault, you know.

Seto *exasperated*: How is it my fault?!

PM: Well, if you weren't so stubborn, then Ryou and Ryuuji wouldn't have gotten kidnapped! So it's all your fault!

Seto: Even if we hadn't gotten into a fight, he still would have been kidnapped.

PM: That is so not true. You could have picked him up in your shiny car and then everything would be okay! So it's still your fault!

Seto: Even if I had picked up Ryou in my, quote on quote, 'shiny car', Ryuuji still would have been kidnapped.

PM: Um… *decides to think about that for a moment*

Seto *muttering to himself*: Never mind that Ryuuji wouldn't have been targeted for anything anyway.

PM: I HEARD THAT! SO IT'S STILL YOUR FAULT!

Ryou: Hello? Hello PM, how about you come and save us? Yeah? Good idea? Maybe right now? Yes?

PM: You'll have to wait for the next chapter, Ryou-kun… ^_^ Just like the rest of you! (Course, I know what happens! MWAHA!) See you all next week (unless I'm feeling benevolent… doubtful cause… I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CHAPTER 10!!)! ^^;;; Why do I have a feeling you'll all be breathing down my neck for the next week? *grins*

Pikachumaniac


	9. The Silence on the Other End

Disclaimer: I'd rather have volume 30… why, why, _why_ does it take three months for each volume to come out?! ;_.; I WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!

Fairydust

PM: ^^;; This chapter caused me lots of problems, so I hope it turns out all right… doesn't help that I'm becoming very busy (I have an extremely bad habit of procrastinating. Apparently, it sometimes helps improve my English essays). But anyhow, this chappy takes place on Thursday night and **is written in Yami no Yuugi's POV.** Why? Cause I can't have Ryou's disembodied voice narrating. *soft sigh* This chapter put me through heaven and hell… seriously. I don't recall when a chapter for this story has given me this much trouble, so I hope it's okay (okay, so chapter 7 gave me a bit of hell as well…). I really like the first part… but… we'll see, I guess.

Ryuuji: You could write more about me… all I did was get myself knocked out in a fairly painful manner! *glares at PM*

PM: It was necessary! (Little voice in mind: Yeah… sure… admit it! You just wanted to see him in pain!)

Ryuuji: I saw that! *points angrily at PM's little thought bubble*

PM: … *glare* I'm ignoring you now. Anyhow, because people were asking (*little angel halo* I will not point out that I said what the word meant in the first chapter… *grin* It's okay, don't worry about it), 'yadonushi' is the pleasant term that Yami no Bakura applies to Ryou (in the manga at least). It more or less mean's 'king's property' or 'king's home'. You get the idea, right? ^_~ Also, in response to the people wondering about exactly _where_ did Ryuuji pull Ryou and himself into… well… if you don't know, I shouldn't corrupt your innocence! *sticks tongue out and ignores the fact that this is a PG fic… hmm*

;_; Thank you everybody for the positive response to the last chapter… I know you all hate me for that cliffy… -_-;; I can't promise that it gets any better after this though! *ducks a variety of rotton vegetables* Eep! But seriously, I melted into a pile of happy goo-i-ness every time I got one of your reviews! ^^;; *word?*Anyhow, the usual excruciatingly long paragraph of people I need to thank!

Many, many thanks to Indigo Tantarian (;_; Gomen… Ryou and Mokuba don't talk this fic, although they do talk next fic! ~ Starting to advertise for sequel… run away while you can!), Sarina Fannel (*innocent look* Leaving you in suspense? Whatever gave you that idea? ^_~), Ruri-chan (I can leave you like that quite easily… actually…), Bronze Eagle (To use Ruri-chan's words… deep breaths, Bronze Eagle. Deep breaths…), Shadowstag (You wouldn't be related to somebody who reviewed a Spirited Away fic, would you? Cause my dear friends are having problems with ice picks too… ^_^), Hanaus (Yami no Bakura DOES show up! Really!), juvi (I don't have problems with chapter ten… I have problems with chapter 11 now!!), crystaldraygon98 (Ryou did indeed slap Seto… and what fun it was for me to write it!), The Evil Laugh (Well, if it makes you feel better, I don't know what got me to write it in the first place), Shamanic Guardian Lena (Penguin-shaped marshmallows… kawaii… Thank YOU for the spelling tip!), *i n c o h e r e n t* (^_^ One of my e-mail buddies actually expected it…), Crystalline Maxwell (Seto *steals shiny car back from Crystalline Maxwell and smacks her on the head* PM: KAIBA!!), ^_^ (*hugs Ryuuji* I'm guessing he's gotten a one week reprieve from being utterly destroyed in the dub… it's okay Ryuuji! I'll introduce the WHOLE WORLD to you! *Ryuuji faints*), Wildwolf (remember what club I'm the secretary of! ^_^), Mayhem's BrainChylde (Yes! Indeed!), rayemars (aww… but we're supposed to laugh when Ryou is suffering… *ducks shoe thrown by a certain cutie*), Aishiteru Tenshi (^^;; I updated! I updated! Please spare my life, I'm quite delicate), Angel-Belle (First a ice pick then my life and now a wet noodle! -_-;; I'm scared!), JediMasterYami, dilanda (Ouch… my poor face… ^_~), Amiasha (don't kill me… or you won't get anymore e-mails from me! Jyou: You haven't replied to her e-mail for a week…), tuulikki (I hope this past week hasn't been TOO bad…), Shinigami (it's not short… it was about 5 pages long! In size 9 arial narrow! If you want short, you should see my friends' chappies… they're less than half a page!), Vampire Huntress D (Yami no Bakura is explained in chapter 10 ^_~), Shan (*steals chloroform from Gammi and uses it on a hysterical Seto who is worried about his koi… *giggle*), Nalan Li (Oy… my neck is aching from all of you breathing down my neck!), Hype-mistress (They're get together… really!), DragonLUPINzero (I, having very bad self-esteem despite my adaments that my self-esteem is perfectly fine, wonder constantly how anybody can like this fic), SMercury (Ryou: See? Everybody is on my side!), Hotaru the Demon Goddess (the link was on chapter 8, I do believe… ^_^), and Risk the Chances (O_o 4 hours?! Don't lose your sleep over my fic please… ;_; I'll feel guilty…). ^_^ Arigatou minna-san!

And as always, a great deal of thanks to Mariel, the most wonderful and truthful beta-reader ever. ^_^ ARIGATOU!

~ The Silence on the Other End ~

Over the several years that I have been conscious in aibou's mind, my soul room has not changed much. It is still a never-ending labyrinth that is highly useful when certain tomb robbers stick their nose in other people's business, and it gives me the chance to scare the crap out of aibou when I sneak up behind him [1]. Of course, I do not do this often… except when he's ignored me for the past couple days and I'm feeling rather sulky, although a pharaoh is certainly above being sulky (so I suppose it isn't really being sulky… rather… I am expressing my inner torment in a less than dignified manner).

Not that I remember much about being pharaoh… After all, I did not exactly figure that out until I went to a museum exhibit set up by Isis Ishtal, who I later discovered set it up for the soul reason of luring me there. Stupid Sennen Tauk that can look into the future… although even I must admit that it is very useful except when Jyounouchi-kun asks me if I can look into the future and find out what the questions on his final exam are going to be. I'm not quite sure, but I think Jyounouchi-kun fails to see the true uses of the Sennen Items… [2]

Getting back to the original topic, although I am really quite sure that my thought process does not need to be so organized, the only real addition to my soul room is a small, white stuffed animal, namely a seal. It is quite simply the most fascinating thing. Although Egypt is fairly close to the ocean, and there really are many odd creatures out there, I find it quite curious that a white animal should exist with flippers and no legs, and not to mention my discovery that it is in no way related to a fish! And even after I was awakened by the Sennen Puzzle, I did not catch a glimpse of any animal similar to this… seal… until I stumbled upon it in mou hitori no ore no kokoro no heya [3]. He later gave it to me as a gift, and I still find it quite adorable.

I ended up naming the seal Yuki, which means snow in Japanese. Seeing that I do not remember a whit of Egyptian, and not to mention that the research I have done on my native land assures me that the weather did not support anything remotely similar to snow, it's likely that no word for it exists in that ancient language.

Yuki is a gift from aibou, who is very precious to me. Because of my desire to stay with him, I have decided to forgo learning about my past, although everyday I am pestered by unexplainable questions and slight maniacal depression. Perhaps I did not realize this when I first sealed my soul in a piece of metal (who knew what I was thinking? If it wasn't for aibou and my affection for him, I would begin a search for a way to travel back in time and give my past pharaoh self a trouncing… even with mou hitori no ore here, I still have to struggle against that urge), but not having memories while possessing quite a few questions is irritating and not at all fun.

Aibou sometimes asks me if I regret my decision, but how can I? Although I still know nothing of my past, I am allowed to remain with him, something that I must be thankful for. Without him, there really would be no point in gaining my memories, would there?

Besides, it is my firm belief that once a decision is made and cannot be changed, there is of little use to dwell upon it until Ra disintegrates. 

Not to mention the fact that if I leave, Yuki wouldn't be happy with me.

Jyounouchi-kun sometimes jokes that I have an insane obsession with Yuki. Need I mention that Jyounouchi-kun also has a remarkably large mouth and I have learned the virtues of duct tape since being released into the mortal realm? Honestly, such an invention was definitely necessary since the beginning of time. Anyhow, Jyounouchi-kun will no longer be spreading rumors about me whether or not I am in hearing range, and I am also sure that he will never mention my affair with the Black Magician if he values his life.

I mean, you _are_ allowed to like spirits if they save your life… it's not as if I one day picked up a card and said to myself, 'hmm, this monster is attractive. Why don't I summon him and go on a date with him?'

At least, that is how Jyounouchi-kun put it (before the duct tape thing).

As for me, I cannot claim that I fully understand this concept of a 'date'. Isn't everyday a date? And in that case, what's so special of having a date then?

Mou hitori no ore sometimes laughs when I ask him these questions, which I find completely unfair. He hasn't been locked in a trinket for the past 5,000 years… personally, I say let's switch places for a while and see how he likes it (all right, it's true. I would never do that to him. But when he laughs at me as if I am a pathetic babe in search of enlightenment, I must admit that the idea becomes extremely tempting). After all, I think I should be allowed a little indulgence.

Speaking of indulgence…

_Mou hitori no boku! You should watch less TV. Your brain is going to turn to mush, _aibou admonishes, sounding very much like a mother hen. I'm tempted to tell him that, but I have a feeling he's not really going to appreciate it. Plus, he's been getting a bit better when it comes to retorts, and he might remind me that I don't remember my own mother, which will probably result in one of us getting a black eye. Humph. Frankly, I don't think he's one to talk, especially when one of _my_ fondest memories of his mother is when she smacked him on top of the head with a ladle [4].

__

I'm a 5,000 year old spirit. I don't have a brain to turn to… mush, I reply, not quite understanding the mush thing. How exactly does a brain turn to mush? Is that scientifically possible? Is it some black spell?

Anyhow, ignoring aibou's laughter as he probably picks up on my confusion, I go back to what I was doing before he interrupted me.

One of the most fascinating things that I have discovered since being released is most certainly the television. I remember the first time I watched it… well, I wasn't exactly watching it myself, but I was watching from aibou's mind.

Getting back to the subject on hand seeing that aibou has now stopped his derisive laughter. Must resist the urge to imitate mother and smack him.

_Do you think that program on dental floss is going to be on?_ I think idly to aibou, causing him to sweatdrop.

__

The program was, unfortunately, canceled when Bakura made the headlines with his supposed affair with Kaiba. I personally found the entire thing rather amusing, although judging by how red Bakura's face was, he certainly had a different opinion! And as for Kaiba… that guy has skin like armor. I wonder if he even noticed.

Logic says no, but from my past experiences with the millionaire, logic does not very often apply to that young man. And _no_, I am not bitter about him constantly trying to use his idiotic new technologies to defeat me, when we all know he doesn't have a hope when it comes to just that!

_What is it with older people and dental floss?_ mou hitori no ore interrupts my thought process.

I raise an eyebrow at aibou's confused question before haughtily replying, _You younger generations are spoiled. None of you seem to realize that you are very lucky compared to us. Dental floss is important. I would have given a lot of gold for it back in Egypt_.

Okay, well that might not be completely true… I mean, it might be true, but again, I wouldn't know… anyhow, it sounds good. 

Unfortunately, aibou catches on a bit quicker than most people do.

_Mou hitori no boku, you sound like ji-chan when he's telling me about how everyday he walked ten miles through waist-deep snow to get to school! Besides, are you trying to tell me that you would have given a great deal of gold for a piece of string? Isn't that a bit extreme?_

_Urusei!_ I grit back, grumbling softly as aibou giggles softly. I'm tempted to retreat into my soul room to smack him on the head with Yuki, but that wouldn't be extremely nice of me. I mean, who knows what injuries Yuki might sustain from such terrible treatment?

I'll let him go this time… if only for Yuki's sake.

_What channel was that program on dental floss supposed to be on?_

I repeat… what is it with you older people and dental floss?

I raise an eyebrow and succumb to the need to punish him severely, mentally smacking him on the head, _Aibou! I'm not that old!_ I can practically _feel_ his skepticism… 5,000 years old not old? But for a vast majority of that time I was stuck in a piece of metal… and I'm pretty sure that I wasn't that much older than aibou when my spirit was sealed into the Sennen Puzzle.

Well, who knows? I certainly don't.

My mind wanders slightly… what I would give to know who I am, who I really was. I know nothing except that I was a pharaoh and… according to an extremely drunk Kaiba (a thoroughly disturbing sight which I personally hope to never be witness to again), did not wear a shirt (well, I personally think it makes sense… after all, Egypt is receptive of unusually warm temperatures, is it not?), but that is just a bit off-topic. Yes, I know by now that if I bring together all the Sennen Items, I will be able to retrieve my memories… but with the possibility of being split from aibou, I'm not about to risk it. Also, the fact that the tomb robber is still living a few doors down is strongly influencing my decision to not bring the Sennen Items together. Perhaps it is just me, but to have all seven Sennen Items together when there is a certain red-eyed and white-haired demonic spirit waiting to gain world domination with them in relatively close proximity is just not what I would call a bright idea. Simply put, if that is not asking for trouble, I cannot tell you what is.

Anyhow, such thoughts are depressing, and I feel very much like relinquishing control to aibou in order to play with Yuki… no, wait, you did not hear that… wait, I'm talking to myself. Of course nobody heard that. Unless aibou is prying in my thoughts again, which will make me _very_ unhappy… and since I'm pretty sure he knows that, I'm also pretty sure that he will not be foolish enough to do such actions.

I don't care if he is my sweet and innocent host, I'll hang him by his thumbs if I have to…

~ * ~

"Kaiba?" his sudden appearance is no doubt surprising, but I fight down my astonishment and look at him carefully. I know my people skills aren't exactly my strong suit, but his current state is noticeable even by myself. His face is pale and general expression haggard and tired rather than his usually arrogant glare, something that is very uncharacteristic of him.

Over the years, I have noticed that Kaiba is the type of person who thrives on competition. In a way, he isn't quite that confident… not at all, to be truthful. He is in constant need of reassurance that he is the best, and if he is unable to get that, he works towards defeating his opponent… his rival.

Me.

That's rather arrogant of him, in my opinion, but I always did enjoy a good competition myself. Lately though, he's been so tired and hasn't been able to do that as much.

I've never mentioned this to anybody, and I'm not about to, but I think that in a way, Kaiba needs Bakura. Or somebody, if not specifically him. I personally think that Kaiba and Bakura make an interesting coupling, and I know that if I ever bother to voice my opinion (which I'm not going to), Jyounouchi-kun will be reaching for my throat (if I don't threaten to mind crush him, of course).

Kaiba, simply put, is not emotionally stable. That is why he is so dependent on Mokuba… or was dependent. He needed to know that somebody would always be there, simply as an emotional anchor that keeps him from floating into space. Considering how much 'hot air' is in his head, I wouldn't be surprised to see him floating up there with a balloon for a head. Needless to say, such a sight would be highly amusing, although I have a feeling that aibou will be less than amused at such a thought from his supposedly benevolent pharaoh spirit.

Bakura, on the other hand, is in a certain need for support. And, although it pains me to admit it, I believe that Kaiba can do just that.

Perhaps that is why I was so amused by the reaction to Bakura's 'news'. Cause it really wasn't news for me. I always thought it was just a matter of time.

(Is this another symptom of being a pharaoh? And to think that I always felt that I lacked people skills… due to my inability to communicate with aibou for a number of weeks. He probably thought he was going insane…)

Each side brings a certain thing to the relationship that the other needs. That is what a relationship should be about. And it's about high time that they realized that. Honestly, did everybody think that it was random choice? Oh, sure, maybe Kaiba thought he was doing it randomly, but if we looked deep down inside to what made him ask, what really did make him ask? It couldn't have been just pure luck, a chance coincidence that will never happen again.

He needed him. On some subconscious level that we will never understand, he needed him and his mind responded in that way. Not the physical attraction which results in me getting stared at by both genders, something I find extremely annoying by the way, but the knowledge that happily decides to make us do extremely random and foolish things does have an agenda in mind. I realize that it's extremely annoying and it seems quite improbable, but it's true.

This isn't really the type of thing you learn from reading books, nor watching TV. It's something you realize after a long period of time of standing right next to the person you never bothered to give a second glance to.

Jyounouchi-kun will think I'm mad though, so I'll just keep my thoughts to myself. Otherwise, he'll be kissing duct tape again, and aibou will get mad at me.

I give Kaiba a look, my all-knowing look that has ceased to have much affect when the person you're giving it to looks like he has as much sense as a cucumber, "Where's Bakura?"

He gives me a look… one of his annoyed, angry looks when I've figured out how to defeat his strategies. It's enough to make anybody flinch, but I'm so used to it that he'd be better off dressing up as a giant bunny if he's interested in surprising me enough to react.

Seeing that I'm not about to back off, and perhaps the weight of my words on his mind (or perhaps I'm getting a tad arrogant myself, in which case I'm not going to comment further), he looks away, looking straight ahead. The others are coming out… Jyounouchi-kun, Anzu, Honda-kun… I can sense they're there without seeing them, more of that subconscious theory I suppose. Aibou is also starting to fidget in his soul room, nervously bouncing a rubber ball that makes a constant thump… thump… thump… thump…

Thump…

"Somebody kidnapped them."

Thump… thump… thump…

… silence.

~ * ~

The silence is shattered as easily as a vase is thrown to the ground and broken into a thousand pieces, their individual shards glittering sadly in the faint light by the sound of Jyounouchi-kun hitting Kaiba.

Well, to be more precise, the sound of Jyounouchi-kun punching Kaiba.

There's the silence of shock as the minutes pass by, the thump… thump… thump… nothing more than the beating of my hearts. I can't say I'm that surprised, although I am a little because I've never seen Kaiba fall like this, but the anger in Jyounouchi-kun's eyes make it so that even I would prefer to stay out of his way.

Meanwhile, Kaiba is shakily getting to his feet, a seeming wreck compared to his usual self. I almost feel sorry for him… well, perhaps that will be a little too cold-hearted of me. All right, I admit it. I do feel sorry for him.

"What did you do?!" Jyounouchi-kun is yelling right now, drowning out the silence, "What the hell did you do this time, Kaiba?!"

I suppose that really isn't fair, but nobody looks ready to say anything. Especially Kaiba, who is now standing, this dazed look in his eyes. Extremely uncharacteristic for him, so I decide to intervene.

"That's enough Jyounouchi-kun."

"Wha… Yami! You…"

I don't bother turning to look at him, instead looking slightly sideways before repeating quietly, "That's enough, Jyounouchi-kun."

He falls back, enraged but blissfully silent.

"Kai… Kaiba-kun," Anzu stammers, plucking up her courage, "What are you saying? You don't actually mean…"

There's no answer. He looks at her, a bit of his old spark coming back to him as his eyes turn stony and he doesn't reply. She gasps softly, looking stunned and expectant, as if waiting for a hand to slap her back to reality.

"Bakura-kun…"

"Hold up," Honda-kun interrupts as he gets his act together, "What do you mean by 'they'? Are you saying there's somebody else?"

There's a brief silence as we contemplate that.

_Otogi-kun,_ aibou supplies to me, as he is the first to figure out who else is missing.

_You don't know that._

_Is there anybody else?_

It makes me sad to hear his voice, devoid of his usual optimism and spark. I fixate my eyes on Kaiba, staring into his eyes that are a rather bright shade of turquoise blue. It's odd to be in this situation because usually, we're facing each other down in a duel rather than in real life. Sometimes, in real life, it's as if the other ceases to exist and we're left alone with ourselves and our own problems.

"Otogi," I voice what mou hitori no ore has told me.

I think Honda figured it out too, although he hasn't said anything. But his eyes are a bit dilated and he's a bit paler than usual, a bit like Kaiba. There's a spark of anger in his eyes that makes me wonder if soon we'll have to be holding him back as he attempts to beat up Kaiba, but there's a sense of defeat lingering as well which makes it unlikely.

"Are you going to explain to us what's going on?" I ask.

There's a hint of defiance that makes me want to roll my eyes, but I just stare at him evenly, my gaze never faltering. That's simply the way to deal with Kaiba… well, it's the only way I can use without wanting to mind crush him again. I don't wish to sound a bit bitter, but that guy is in serious need of some calming influences.

There. Another reason why he and Bakura are good for each other. Perhaps he will also be able to deal with that fool of a tomb robber as well, seeing that he has yet to give me a good reason to banish him as I did to that troublesome spirit that caused so much trouble in Battle City. Very, very tempting, but unfortunately not yet plausible.

Well, give it time. I'm sure an opportunity will pop up sooner or later.

He looks at each of us… from Anzu to Honda-kun to Jyounouchi-kun… before his eyes finally rest on me. I have to smirk inwardly. It seems odd that he would choose his supposed rival to take a bit of comfort from, but in a way, we always did understand each other the best.

Maybe it isn't that odd.

"The police called. It's all over the news," he shrugs slightly, although there's a hint of anger and determination in his eyes, "I don't know who did it. They haven't called yet. If they're going to call."

Interesting. The expression seems to voice a sort of protective need. Except this time, the person he cares for isn't being held hostage by a madman with a deck of cards… he's being held by an unknown culprit who could be just about anyone with a grudge against Kaiba. Except for us, of course…

"Daijoubu. They'll find them," Anzu speaks bravely, trying to look convincing. Jyounouchi-kun and Honda-kun exchange skeptical looks, but I suppose that given the circumstances, it's to be expected.

_Are we going to do something?_ mou hitori no ore asks, and I blink mentally.

_What can we do?_

… _I don't know… I just know that I don't want to be doing nothing._

_Sometimes we don't have a choice_, I reply as I look over at Kaiba again, who looks back at me. He looks lost again, lost like a little child who's hand was dropped by the person he loves and is now on his own as he faces the cruel, harsh woods that now constitutes as his world. 

We all have to face the world sometime.

Kaiba has been through a lot, I'll grant him that. Drawing from Yuugi's memories… well, I don't really snoop around in them, so I'll just ignore that slightly guilty feeling I'm getting, but they're there waiting for me to pick up, I swear… and his experiences, Kaiba seems to have had a more difficult lives than many. I'll give him that… his stepfather treated him like a dog, which I guess is where he draws his 'make inu' insults from. And after he recovered from those memories (thanks to a conveniently timed mind crush that helped piece his heart together the way it should have been… must resist urge to be appropriately smug and do an odd variation of a victory dance with Yuki and Black Magician), he needed somebody there for him, as said before.

But by taking away that emotional block that keeps his sanity intact, this is the true Kaiba. It's as if he's absolutely defeated, has no will to keep going.

And in a way, he is defeated. He's lost the things that keep him going. He's facing the world, but he doesn't have that comfort zone that makes him ooze a rather sickening amount of confidence.

I wonder how long it will take him to realize that?

~ * ~

None of us were very surprised when the police showed up, although what they were looking for I could only guess. Maybe they were investigating the possibility that it wasn't because of Kaiba that the kidnapping occurred, but because of Otogi. Which I suppose is odd, but that kid can cause quite a bit of trouble. And _no_, I'm not just saying that because I'm a bit resentful of his otousan breaking _my_ Sennen Puzzle [5]…

Of course not. Where on earth will you get a thought like that?

It's an unspoken message among us all that such a case is rather farfetched and improbable, but we don't say anything except to smile and nod and assure the investigators that we have not seen any strange behavior lately and no, that is not a millionaire sitting on the sofa looking like he's ready to break down into tears.

Different story.

By the time they left, reality is taking its toll and we've all realized that the slap of benevolent (if rather painful) waking up isn't going to be coming. Cause it's already here.

In fact, we're all so wrapped up in our thoughts, whatever they may be about, that the phone ringing causes both Jyounouchi-kun and Honda-kun to fall off the couch and land on their butts in a rather provocative pile, a sight that would have been pretty funny if the atmosphere wasn't so somber right now.

We all look expectantly at each other, as if waiting for the infernal racket to stop on its own. It's not until Kaiba reaches into his pocket and extracts his cell (PM: Yes, it is indeed that ever-present cell phone that the guy should just MARRY and get on with it!), growling into it.

"Moshi, moshi?" he snarls, somehow managing to sound rather polite at the same time, something that does not fail to intrigue and amaze me.

I shut my eyes and try to will myself away into a fantasy where there's a field of flowers growing with a little Yuki in each clump. Kaiba and that fool tomb robber will be there, dressed as slaves no doubt, and then the Black Magician in that interesting little Playboy bunny suit that aibou sometimes drools over (of course, nobody is supposed to know that little thing, except for aibou… and that oddly suspicious spirit living in his mind, but it'll be a good blackmail tool later).

"Yes, I'm listening."

I open my eyes again, glancing over at Kaiba, who is gripping the cell phone tightly enough that his knuckles are turning white.

_What's going on?_

I don't know, aibou, I reply, raising my eyebrow as we all look at Kaiba, who's eyes are now narrowed and he looks ready to kill. I'm starting to get a suspicion though…

"Where. Is. He," each word is spoken clearly and not at all passively, his voice cold and angry. A quick look at the others reveals that they also know what's going on… Jyounouchi-kun even looks ready to jump up and wrench the phone out of Kaiba's hands, and I have a feeling that only common sense is holding him back.

The room is at a deathly still, even mou hitori no ore isn't saying anything.

"I don't care about any of that, just tell me what you want," Kaiba hisses as he stands, pacing around the room. I guess that's a sign of how nervous he is, or maybe just how pissed off he is.

"You're working for Big 5," he pauses as he glances over at us. Apparently, he's being kind enough to allow us to know how the conversation is going by repeating everything they have to say, "You still haven't told me what you want."

_Big 5?_ aibou's voice is worried, _I thought they had been fired after Kaiba-kun got back. What could they possibly hope to gain by doing this? If they want to be rehired, wouldn't people notice it?_

I can't help but sigh mentally. Sometimes, aibou really is too innocent. It's an endearing trait, but it's not very good when it comes to reality.

_Revenge,_ I supply, _That's the kind of things people like them would be after.._

"They've gotten really low, haven't they? I knew that they were getting desperate, but this is really a new low for them. I'm not going to be their puppet. I'm not going to let them destroy Kaiba Corporation." Pause. "Well, we seem to be at a bit of a stalemate, don't we?"

"Kaiba!" Jyounouchi-kun is positively seething, "I can't believe your nerve! Are you really going to just…"

The glare that Kaiba gives him could melt steel. Jyounouchi-kun looks at us for support, but none of us can really give it right now. Honda-kun is still in his little state of shock, Anzu is practically wilting under the glare, and as for me… well, none of us can really expect Kaiba to give up control, can we? No matter how much he needs Bakura, he wouldn't give up his life's work. Plus, the thought of Kaiba being controlled is enough to give anybody the creeps.

_Do you mean that, mou hitori no boku?_

I shut my eyes as I allow aibou's question to sink in.

_Yes. We are in no position to expect Kaiba to give up something as important as this for Bakura and Otogi._

Aibou doesn't have an answer to that, and the void created by the silence is rather painful. I fight the feelings away and focus on what Kaiba is now saying.

"You don't want that? So what do you want? Money? My brother? Me? Would you like me to go to the tailor and search for a Egyptian slave outfit before delivering myself on your doorstep with a ribbon in my hair?" the edge of his voice is dangerous, even as he says the most ridiculous things. Nobody dares to laugh. 

"I'll break the contract."

Shock sweeps through the room. Even I can't believe it. From what Bakura has been telling Jyounouchi, that contract is extremely important to Kaiba. Important enough for him to come up with this idiotic plan of having him pretend to be his boyfriend, at least. And he's just willing to break it? Has he lost it?

That's the question that Jyounouchi-kun seems to be asking as well. His eyes are wide and he is staring at Kaiba openly, no hint of a smirk or triumph in his face. Jyounouchi-kun is just as shell-shocked as the rest of us. Anzu and Honda-kun both have a little more hope in their eyes, although its clear that they are also confused.

I've said it once, and I'll say it once more. Logic simply does not apply to Kaiba.

"But I have a condition," Kaiba continues, looking over at us with an annoyed expression on his face, his eyes clearly asking us if we really had such a low opinion of him before this (which I can only reply with this: did he honestly expect anything more from us? Especially when after we defeated Yami no Kamen and Hikari no Kamen and Malik told us that he had control of Jyounouchi-kun and Anzu, and what did Kaiba do? Get his idiotic little puzzle cards, that's what. Although I must admit that he did surprise me in helping me find the two with the use of his helicopter… not that I'd ever tell him that to his face [6]), "You'll release Ryou and Otogi now."

_Is he serious?_ aibou asks, voicing the silent question that we are all unable to make ourselves. I really don't know how to answer him, so I just stay silent, something that he accepts with relatively little argument.

His expression darkens and he looks absolutely furious as he shakes, "You heard me. I don't want the two of them involved any longer than they already have. You will let the two of them go now."

_He cares for Bakura greater than any of us can suspect, even himself,_ I tell aibou, but from the expression on his face, I think he's still a bit confused. I sigh and shrug it off, realizing that perhaps he will be thinking that I'm on some type of hallucination causing drugs if I try to elaborate on my words.

"I already told you I would break the deal. And I have already told you what I want in return. I'm not going to repeat it.

"You think that they're insurance in case I change my mind?" Kaiba is more or less screeching into the phone now, causing Anzu and Honda-kun and Jyounouchi-kun to shrink back from the fury in his voice.

"When I get my hands on you people, I'm going to make sure there aren't any pieces left for the police to get!"

And with that, Kaiba throws the phone at the wall. You can literally hear it as it sails through the wind, a glint of silver before it impacts the wall, breaking into pieces as it slides to the floor. There's no way it can be repaired… the force that Kaiba used when he threw it must have been great.

We all stare at the phone, with the exception of Kaiba, who is still taking deep breaths and trying to gain control over his emotions.

_Kaiba-kun…_ aibou whispers softly.

He's going to break his deal in order to save Bakura and Otogi. He purposely broke his cell phone… his inseparable cell phone… in order to let out his emotions.

He's willing to give up his work for his love.

I have a feeling that Bakura has changed him a lot more than any of us could possibly have suspected before.

Now I must wonder how long it will take Kaiba to figure that out on his own.

Translations and notes (Very long… no, I'm not trying to make up for last chapter's lack thereof :P):

[1] References to volume 17 and 27. In volume 17, Yami no Bakura used 'mind parasite' to place part of his soul in a piece of the Sennen Puzzle. In volume 27, he dueled Yami no Malik and ended up getting eaten by the shadow monster. Also in volume 27, Yuugi visits Yami no Yuugi in his soul room, and Yami kinda freaks him out by suddenly appearing behind him and asking him what he wants. Yuugi asks him about the maze, and Yami says how he felt somebody in his room so he's trying to confuse him. The manga then pans to Yami no Bakura, who is in Yami's soul room. I don't know what happens after that… the manga books haven't gotten to it and I'm not even sure if weekly Shounen Jump has gotten to it! ^_^ We'll just have to wait.

[2] Volume 17 and 27 as well. Isis sets up the Egyptian exhibit with a tablet of Yami no Yuugi as pharaoh, and in volume 27, she gives the Sennen Tauk to Yuugi.

[3] 'Mou' is other, 'hitori' is 'person', no is a possessive (your, his, Jyou's), and both ore and boku are ways of saying 'I'. Boku is more formal and supposedly cuter sounding, according to Kei-kun, which means that Malik sounds cute. Ryuuji drives me crazy cause he switches between 'ore' and 'boku' in the manga, but uses only 'boku' in the anime. And Yami no Bakura is very egotistical when he says 'ore-sama'. 'Kokoro' is heart/soul, and 'heya' is room. Therefore, mou hitori no ore no kokoro no heya is 'my other self's soul room'. What a mouthful!

[4] Reference to volume 5… his expression was priceless… ^^;;

[5] In the manga (it's different from the anime), Ryuuji-kun's father breaks the Sennen Puzzle (volume 17).

[6] Reference to volume 22. The battle itself took volume 21 and volume 22, but that particular scene is from volume 22.

PM: Anyhow, I was watching the anime, and Yami no Yuugi shows up in his pharaoh garb, and I remember Kei-kun telling me that I'll love what he wears as pharaoh, and the only thing I can reply is that he _isn't_ wearing anything. I've never seen anybody with less clothes than him and could still be termed somewhat decent. The only thing he's wearing is this loin-cloth skirt thingy and cape, and he's bare-chested. Not that I have a problem with that, of course… *grins at Yami*

Yami *glares back, scantily clad in his pharaoh garb… the anime one, not the manga one (he wears a little miniskirt in that one… compared to Seto who wears a dress), which I personally find cuter*: Go away.

PM: *taunting voice* I bet they'll find a way to make you wear a shirt in the dub…

Yami: So about two million people less don't get to see me with no shirt on. Big deal.

PM *cackling as fan girls jump Yami and drag him away like a sacrificial virgin… hmm, been reading too many of DrM's fics*

Pikachumaniac


	10. Yami no Bakura, the Sugarplum Fairy

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership to Yu-gi-oh, but I did beg wildly for fifteen minutes or so to get Kei-kun to buy me volume 30… 

Fairydust

PM: I hope the last chapter wasn't too bad. It was giving me lots of problems… took me over two weeks to write it. I'm also under strict orders not to gripe about the last chapter, nor any other chapters… *pout* So on to this chapter, finally! You have no idea exactly how happy I am! Well, to be truthful, I'm not that ecstatic… this chapter gave me a lot of hell too! -_-;;; But for those of you who have been waiting for Yami no Bakura to show up… well, I hope you're all happy. ^_^ Okay, okay, I'll hush up…

Keel: I thought you were going to leave me alone… *sighs when PM gives him one of her patented 'don't mess with me' glares that can make a dandelion laugh from its pathetic-ness* This chapter also takes place on Thursday night at the same time as the last chapter did. But it's in Ryou's POV.

Ryuuji: *grumbling* I better not be experiencing anymore pain this chapter…

PM *crosses fingers behind back*: Of course not…

Ryuuji *points at the asterisk descriptions of movements*: I SAW THAT!

PM: DANG AUTHOR UNIVERSE! GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY!

^_^ The usual thanks to Mariel, as well as Kei-kun for giving me the confidence to keep this part of the story in. And of course, thanks to my past readers and reviewers. ^_^ You've all been so wonderful (You got it! It's that once again excruciatingly long paragraph! MWAHA!)!

Many thanks to Wildwolf (poor Wildwolf-chan… Don't you know dental floss is good for you? Which is why, of course, I never use it…), Bronze Eagle (Sorry, no Seto thoughts… I actually have a reason for that because I don't want ANY of you people knowing what Seto is thinking until chapter 16… which is the last chappy :P), Amiasha and Sup (I must e-mail you… SO SORRY I've been shirking off!), JediMasterYami (Ryou *sniffles* Poor Seto? What about me?! PM: Urusei…), crystaldraygon98 (*counts on fingers before showing them to CD98* This many chapters!), DragonLUPINzero (wah, you don't need to thank me… ^_~), *i n c o h e r e n t* (Seto really is planning to break the contract! Isn't that sweet? ^_^), Angel-Belle (You find out where Yami no Bakura has been for the past couple chappies… yea! Ryou: I thought you don't like Yami no Bakura! PM: But that fantastic Japanese fanart artist has gotten me hooked on him… *hugs a freaked out Yami no Bakura*), Summer (I use Microsoft Word and upload the chapters in HTML… does that help?), beholder of the shadows (Seto *offended* I have no shield! *everybody bursts out laughing*), ^_^ (Ryou treats him perfectly fine… but I can't control what Katsuya does… *runs away from ^_^* j/k! j/k!), rayemars (*shivers* Then chapter 11 should be excellent, ne?), Crystalline Maxwell (Oh-ye-who-knows-far-too-much? *sniffles* I don't know too much, do I? And as for Noa, you see, I only have the manga and 62 eps for the anime. The anime hasn't gotten to him yet and the manga doesn't have him. I asked Kei-kun for you though and she told me that Noa is Gozaburou's (sp?… Seto/Mokuba's stepfather) real son and that he's dead… didn't quite get that, so if you need more, I'll try to get back to you), tuulikki (I know what you mean… so much to buy… and Yuki is so cute, isn't he?! ^_~ My friends are convinced he's a demon…), V-chan (Wah! Gomen that I haven't been able to e-mail you yet! Just been so busy… but I will do so soon, hopefully… and yes, another fellow victim of Wildwolf-chan, I congragulate your survival! ^_~), sorrowsflight, Indigo Tantarian (the contract is the one at the start of the story that Seto is doing with Yoshizawa-san ^_^), Shinigami (^^;; is the story really good enough for you to be pressing 'refresh' 50 times… eep!), Shamanic Guardian Lena (*bawls and throws self at SGL* WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO TO RYUUJI IN THE DUB?! *bawls some more*), Nalan Li (uh, there's 6 more chapters, but read the notes at the end of this chapter concerning chapter 11), and Neko-chan (*winces* Another person threatening me about my 'this chapter sucked' thing… eep! The Black Magician*Yami thing was just supposed to be a very small and humorous part… but it somehow evolved into being an actual coupling in this fic. Don't ask me how cause I really don't know… Anywho, I bought the manga at a Japanese bookstore. If you have any around you, try those. If not, you can even try a Chinese bookstore. I stumbled across one over the summer… I've lived here for about 14 years and didn't know it existed until this summer… and it had Yu-gi-oh in Chinese…). ^_^ Arigatou minna-san!

~ Yami no Bakura, the Sugarplum Fairy ~

Once, when oniisan was convinced that I was culturally challenged and needed to be introduced to the great and decidedly vast (too vast, perhaps) world of the classics (despite my arguments that Monster World, DDD, and Magic & Wizards _were_ classics, game-wise at least… for the oddest reason, he didn't like that argument), he happily decided to drag me to a ballet along with his fiancée.

Certainly, he was not at all pleased when I ended up falling asleep for the vast majority of the ballet (although I suppose that is a bit of an understatement, seeing that I've got bruises which still haven't gone away), but I did manage to get the general gist of it. Of course, in no way is this because I happened to read the program before the ballet started and thus figured out what it was about.

Apparently, The Nutcracker was a Christmas specialty. Don't ask me why oniisan dragged me to it… it was summer when he decided to try to culturally advance me. However, there were parts of it that I did remember waking up to watch.

Which may explain why the spirit of the Sennen Ring is now wearing a dress and is sprouting a big pair of fairy wings.

Yami Bakura certainly doesn't look any happier about the situation than I do, and before I know what's happening, he's whacked me with his wand.

"Stop staring at me, baka!" he barks out, causing me to jump, his rage making him shake and causing bits of sparkly powder to fall on the ground, "This isn't funny!"

"What… what are you doing?!" I squeak out, wincing as he smacks me with his wand again. Well, his temper certainly hasn't improved I think to myself as I rub the sore spot where he hit me… twice.

"You think I'm doing this on my own?" he yells, shaking the wand at me and causing more sparkly dust to fall on the ground. At the rate this is going, I'm going to be drowning in sparkles, "Somebody has a sick sense of humor apparently!' He emphasizes his words with some more shaking with suppressed rage, which of course sends another burst of sparkles onto the ground.

Even knowing that I'm just asking for another whack, I can only keep staring at him. This is certainly a picturesque moment though. 

It's a really good thing he can't hear my thoughts right now, although judging by the way he's ranting and screaming bloody murder against writers named after yellow electric rats (no, I do not know what drugs he has been taking recently), he is probably too busy to notice.

He suddenly pauses mid-rant as we both freeze at the sound of somebody coming closer. His wings are flapping desperately, as if he's hoping that he'll be able to fly into a corner and die.

Maybe it's just me…

I blink and my jaw drops as I recognize who it is.

"Kaiba-kun?" I ask in shock. Kaiba-kun nods jerkily because… well, it's not really Kaiba-kun. I mean, it is Kaiba-kun but… what I mean to say is that last I remember, Kaiba-kun wasn't a wooden doll!

"What's going on?"

"You think I'd know yadonushi?!" Yami Bakura fair screams as he shakes the wand at Kaiba-kun, the nutcracker prince. An entire cloud of dust falls from it, landing on Kaiba-kun.

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Kaiba-kun the nutcracker prince is no longer there. It's just plain Kaiba-kun. I stare at him, slack-jawed, for several moments before it suddenly occurs to me that it must have been the dust from Yami no Bakura. I turn to say something to him, but he's already gone.

Arms wrap around my wait gently, and I find myself in a familiar position as I blush from Kaiba-kun's breath on my neck.

"You look nice in that dress," Kaiba-kun murmurs before kissing my neck. I freeze. If it wasn't for the nice feeling of Kaiba-kun being here, I would feel like I've fallen through the gates of hell and was currently being tortured in the seven circles of hell. Which doesn't take away from the fact that I am indeed wearing a dress.

The blood is rushing to my face even more rapidly than before. How could I have possibly _not_ noticed before?! It's a long white spaghetti strap dress that is clinging to my body in a most uncomfortable way. The material is soft and silky, but I can feel Kaiba-kun's arms through it _quite_ easily.

Somewhere along this point, I've also noticed that there's quite a bit of that sparkly stuff in my hair. I twist in Kaiba-kun's glance so I'm facing him, rather than having my back towards him. He's also got quite a bit of glitter in his hair, a gift from Yami no Bakura the Sugarplum Fairy, no doubt.

"What is this stuff?" I ask softly.

Seto frowns, looking a bit disappointed at my ever-present imbecility most likely. One of his hand disentangles itself from my body, reaching for one of the silvery strands.

"Don't you know?" at least his voice isn't patronizing… more of a surprised curiosity at my denseness.

I shake my head, and he looks at me carefully with those turquoise blue eyes that make me feel edgy and calm at the same time."

I hate conflicting emotions.

"It's fairydust."

And with that, he kisses me.

~ * ~

"It's about time you woke up."

Otogi-kun is sitting cross-legged, watching me with a critical look that makes me wince and want to shrink back. Not that it's any different from any other day, but the look seems to be more effective than usual.

Of course, that might be attributed to the huge bruise on his forehead… it's a rather ugly bluish-black, causing me to feel very sympathetic for him due to the fact that I'm busying myself by being thankful that he's still alive to glare at me in such a fashion.

"What happened?"

Yes, I realize it's a stupid question. Who's to say that he didn't wake up approximately two seconds before I did? But there's that little bit of hope that's clinging to the thought that maybe he has a better understanding of what's going on than I do, a rather vexatious stubborn optimism that I sometimes believe has no place in this world.

I expect him to shrug or glare at me in a way that everybody does for the sole purpose of making me feel small, insignificant, and quite idiotic. Instead, he runs a hand through his tangled black bangs, letting out a soft sigh.

"I woke up while they were on the phone with your boyfriend," I wince at his term for Kaiba-kun, even though the tone he uses is sincere and not at all mocking. I guess he senses my discomfort as he cocks his head and looks at me as if I'm more simple-minded then even he could have ever suspected.

"If it makes you feel better, it sounded like he was very upset."

"And I suppose they came in and told you that?" I find myself biting out. For somebody who has quite a bit of common sense, romance-wise Otogi-kun needs a reality check more than _I_ do.

"No," before I can reply something along the lines of 'I told you so' (not that I would have, you see, but I'm sure he was anticipating it), "But they were using speaker phone."

Well, I certainly have no argument for that.

"… oh…" I hear myself saying even as questions whirl through my head at amazingly quick speeds, creating a dizzying effect that makes me want to tumble over in shock. My mouth feels dry… although I suppose that it doesn't really matter seeing that I don't think I can voice any of my questions without some serious mental help… and the words seem to stick in my throat before they can fully escape.

"They're working for Big 5…" Otogi-kun's voice trails off as he waits a moment to let that information sink in. As for me, I feel even more like an idiot as I realize that I have no idea what he's talking about…

Wait… weren't they the old board of directors for Kaiba Corporation? I guess that would make sense but that wouldn't explain why they would be doing this. I remember reading in the newspaper shortly after we got back from Duelist Kingdom that Kaiba-kun had fired them for conspiracy and the such.

So why would they be doing something like this?

"He's going to break the contract."

I can only stare at Otogi-kun in disbelief. Is he saying what I think he's saying? I must be getting more delusional than I could have suspected…

"What?" I ask in absolute astonishment. He seriously, seriously cannot be saying that. There's no way that Kaiba-kun will just break the contract after everything he's gone through to keep it.

It just doesn't make sense… I suppose that in a more egotistical sense, the little voice in my head is wondering if it's actually possible that Kaiba-kun cares enough about _me_ to break such an important deal. Logic says no, and I'm going to let it take over for a while. Seeing all the trouble emotions cause me these days.

Otogi-kun hasn't said anything yet, just watching me silently as the whirlpool of information floods my senses. This can't be happening, can it? This just can't be happening.

The week isn't even over, yet everything that I've taken for granted seems to be flipped upside down. It's no wonder that so many people are opposed to change, seeing what pain it can cause to suddenly realize that the things you've thought were true for so long are suddenly… not. It's so much easier to live in the past than to deal with what the future has to bring, and certainly easier than the turmoil of the present.

"He wouldn't," the words come out as a pathetic, defeated whisper. And I'm really not just saying this. Kaiba-kun has the most amazing sense of duty that I have ever seen, and it seems merely common sense that his duty to his company is much greater than his duty to somebody who he randomly chose to torment for a week. I still wonder how he came upon me… maybe he drew names out of a hat or something. That would explain a lot as well.

The world's been spinning out of control since that fateful moment where I opened my mouth and said 'yes', despite a rather extraordinary amount of common sense that I am said to possess. Which once again proves that what people say isn't always true in moments of insanity. Which is certainly what that was, it would seem.

I wonder how everybody else copes with it?

"He would," Otogi-kun looks at me as I sink back down onto the floor, staring at the empty wall across the room, "Why would you think otherwise." It's not a question, but a statement. One that I find myself completely breaking over.

"Because there's no reason to think otherwise!" I'm starting to get a headache, perhaps it's an undesired (or maybe it is desired; who knows what was going through their minds?) effect of the chloroform.

It's times like this where I can only wonder if the whole world around me has gone insane, and I am the only voice of reason. Or perhaps vice-versa.

Why is it that everybody seems to think that it's possible that Kaiba-kun and I can actually be right for each other? It seems impossible to me… a distant dream that aches to be fulfilled but knows that it never will. Otogi-kun has openly told me (multiple times it appears) that the possibility of Kaiba-kun and I getting together isn't that far-fetched, but I don't understand how he could think such a thing. Has Kaiba-kun ever given any reason to act otherwise? Before all of this, I easily could have answered that the only things he cared about was his company and Mokuba.

And as for Jyounouchi-kun… well, he's a little less subtle about it, but sometimes I wonder if his over protectiveness is not enduced merely by his dislike for Kaiba-kun, but for the actual possibility that me might be trying to keep the event of the two of us getting together from ever happening.

In which case, I must wonder if I need to thank Jyounouchi-kun. It seems that he has a better insight than I do to the perils of romantic notions…

I sometimes wonder why I'm such a skeptic of those ideas such as true love and love at first sight. It's nice to dream about these things, but until you actually experience such a thing, you will always remain a skeptic. Until you get into the action, feel all the emotions running through your veins…

I'm the type of person who is always standing on the sidelines. It's not always by choice, but it's where I belong and where I'm most comfortable.

"You're wrong, Bakura-kun." I don't move as Otogi-kun's voice invades my mind and starts doing cartwheels with my sense, "It's right in front of you, yet you don't notice it. How is that possible?"

If I was feeling a bit more vindictive, or if I had become a person that I have never wanted to become, I would have asked him how _he_ could say such things considering his situation with Honda-kun.

But since I'm not that type of person, and I don't want to upset him, I just keep my mouth shut as I once again bottle up my emotions in a pleasant little jar and file it away for safe-keeping.

However, I can't get away from the guilt that is nibbling away at my conscience like a small mouse with cheese. And maybe I don't really want to. Kaiba-kun deserves better than this, deserves better than having to give up something he's worked so hard for on my account.

It's not fair to ask him to do something for somebody who should never have been a part of his life in the first place.

"Bakura-kun… what are you doing?" there's a hint of panic in Otogi-kun's voice that I've never heard before, but I ignore it as I focus my energy on the Sennen Ring. I've never done this before (not voluntarily, at least), and I highly doubt that it will work. But sitting here waiting for everything to happen for me doesn't seem to be a very appealing idea.

Besides, it's time I did something instead.

Ignoring Otogi-kun's surprised shout (he's never been very comfortable with the Sennen Ring, if I remember correctly), I allow myself to be pulled away into my soul room, in order to confront the one person that I have never in my life would have wanted to face willingly.

Yami no Bakura.

~ * ~

Apparently, in the past couple years since I've visited my soul room (or to put it more realistically, was shoved in there by a rather bad-tempered spirit who was more than likely to ignore any arguments I made), not much has changed. Although I guess it's quite possible that these things don't really change that much.

There have been small, subtle changes that I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been here for long periods of time with nothing to do except sit there and stare at my surroundings, worrying my head off that when I was finally allowed back into the world, all my friends would be nothing more than rotting corpses.

It's happened before.

Therefore, it should be of no surprise that I should be a bit more than apprehensive about approaching Yami Bakura, even if I have that rather amusing image of him in a dress and a pair of wings to lighten the mood. Although I know for sure that if the barest mention of that image makes its way to him, I'll be dead before I know it.

It's not that he's cruel or anything. It's just that he's been perpetually annoyed for quite a while, and I've done my best to steer clear of him. I can't say it's always easy, but since Yami-kun [1] decided not to banish him, we've more or less been on a silent agreement to stay out of the other's life.

Although he is liable to break that agreement every once in a while in the oddest ways. Nothing that could be deemed bad enough to catch Yami-kun's attention and send the tomb robber on a one-way trip to hell (no, I am not sure if I mean this literally or not), but certainly… odd. Such as the time when he ran around maxing out my credit card and dumping perfume on Honda-kun, who I still swear has still not forgiven me.

Or the tripping thing just two days ago…

Also, he never really is willing to let his presence be forgotten. Which would certainly explain his sudden interjections of his life philosophies, which are decidedly depressing… of course, I have a feeling that is exactly what they are meant to be (I mean, think about who we're talking about).

I have a sneaking suspicion that he is not about to be ecstatic about what I'm going to ask him.

It doesn't help that I am not at all sure if what I'm asking him to do is even _possible_.

Inhale. Exhale. The few times I have had to go up against Yami no Bakura, even something as simple as breathing becomes a task to simply remember. Why this is so, I don't know… but it's just his presence. Yami no Yuugi has a calming, confident presence that makes you feel as if nothing can go wrong. Yami no Malik was insanity overdosed with murderous intent wrapped up in a sexy package.

But as for my Yami (I know I shouldn't say that he is 'my' Yami, seeing that he seems to much prefer it the other way around… so I suppose I should be saying 'my owner', which I'm sure will make him happy but at the moment, I really would rather not be catering to other people's… or in this case, spirits'… needs), he's just… cold. He doesn't care about anything if it doesn't effect him, and those few times he does care about me, it's only because my life is in danger and thus his host. Nothing beyond a cold attachment that he would wipe out in a blink of the eye if the opportunity should arise.

In a way, I should be thankful that it hasn't. But then again, who wants to spend his entire life worrying about crossing the line when it comes to a rather psychotic spirit living in the soul room across the hall?

The door is unlocked, something that surprises me even though it shouldn't. I'm just too used to the door being locked because the few times I'm in my soul room was usually due to Yami Bakura throwing me in so that he could use my body to run amuck and cause chaos. Something which I am not particularly fond of.

I'm also surprised that the hallway is there, just as Yuugi-kun said it would be. I've never seen it myself, but Yuugi-kun described it to me once when I asked him. The door is also the same as Yami-kun's door, something I find rather interesting. I mean, consider the differences in their personalities. I would never expect the door of their soul room to be the same.

_You can still back out…_ the little voice in my head is telling me… softly and desperately, although there is no begging involved, _It's not too late._

But I have to do this.

I know that while Seto will never give me a second glance at the end of this week, and I have come to accept this. But unwittingly, he has done so much for me these past few days that I couldn't even begin to describe.

It's not my place to expect him to give up his life work because of me. I said this once and I say it again because it's how I feel.

Some of my feelings might be attributed to that blind little hope that something might happen between the two of us. Unrelenting and unwilling to let go of that hope, it's sending me head-first into my own doom.

All I can hope for now is that he is kind enough to make my death quick and relatively painless. Oh Kami-sama, I do not want to do this.

Before I can back down, I reach deep down within for that little bit of courage that has caused me to do so many outrageous things, pull down the door handle (which moves with a long squeak that makes me want to jump), push open the door, and step into the gloom.

The door slams behind me, extinguishing the soft light from the hallway and plunging my senses into total night.

~ * ~

The light flares up suddenly, as if I have been in a dark room for an hour before somebody flips the light switch on in a blinding symphony of brightly colored spots dancing before my eyes.

"What are you doing here yadonushi?" Yami Bakura drawls in that tone of voice which essentially says 'answer me before you're looking at your own intestines'. What a pleasant thought.

I wince as my eyes blink rapidly, still trying to adjust to the sudden light. After several seconds of fruitless effort, his figure starts to become more visible as well as his soul room. My mouth wants to drop to the ground as soon as I get a good look at his soul room.

Like Yami-kun's, Yami Bakura's soul room is an endless maze of staircases and doors. No wonder he didn't have as much trouble infiltrating Yami-kun's soul room…

"Well?" his voice carries a dangerous tone that makes me snap back to attention, blinking at him. This is the first time we've come face-to-face rather than having his disembodied voice speak to me. And I realize with a jolt exactly how much he looks like me... yet how different he can be.

The most striking feature that I can't help but just stare at are his eyes, which are red. My own eyes are light blue, so it's odd to see such a change in eye colors. Yami-kun's eyes are the same color as Yuugi-kun's, which adds to my surprise a bit.

"Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?!" Yami Bakura's enraged voice causes me to jump, once again sending a flood of 'why did I decide to do this' questions racing through my mind.

"I… i… iya… [2]" I stutter. He sighs and looks away, pinching the bridge of his nose as if to show that he's getting an extremely bad headache. I could sympathize, but if there is one being on this planet who looks like he never needs sympathy, it's the one who is standing before me.

"So? What are you doing here? I hope you're not coming to whine to me about my not coming to rescue you when you and Otogi when you two got into trouble." There's a hint of amusement in his eyes, something I usually hear in his voice when he's commenting about Otogi-kun. Why, I honestly don't know, although I have a suspicion that it might have something to do with how he helped Yuugi-kun defeat Otogi-kun at DDD… something that still ticks off Otogi-kun and does not cease to amuse Yami Bakura.

"Anou [3]…" Before I can say anything, he cuts me off.

"It's not as if it was a life-threatening situation anyway… well, not your life at least," he gives me a grin that distinctly reminds me of a savage beast enjoying carnage, "I have better things to do with my time than to watch out for you and your friends when you get into trouble."

"That's not what I came for," the words come out in a small rush. He looks at me for a moment, as if contemplating what I said.

"So what did you come for?" his words are lathered with boredom as he takes the time to inspect his nails, but I can hear a bit of curiosity underneath the layers. I've spent too much time being manipulated by people, so it's only understandable that I finally get a sense of people's true motives.

"I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Hmm…" he holds up his hand to prevent me from explaining myself as he keeps looking at his nails, which are pristine. I wonder if he gets them manicured?

"No," he decides.

"But you haven't even heard what I have to say yet!" I want to smack my head against the wall as soon as I say those words. Can I get any more idiotic?

He glares at me, his blood-red eyes narrowed and his face devoid of any of his previous amusement from toying with me, "I said no, yadonushi. You're in no position to be saying otherwise."

"Can't I just tell you?" I'm begging, but I don't care. I'm used to it anyway.

He sighs, rolling his eyes as he looks at the maze above us.

"I can't think of any way of stopping you if you're so determined… unless I risk causing you a bit of bodily harm," I shiver at his words, bringing back the sadistic amusement to his eyes, "… But that wouldn't look so good in the pharaoh's eyes, so I might as well indulge you this time. That doesn't mean I won't be kicking you back out as soon as you're done… it just amuses me to think that you might be showing a bit of will for once."

Oh joy, thank you ever so much.

"Don't push me."

Apparently, one of his other skills is mind-reading, but I'm not going to comment on that.

I swallow the lump that has grown in my throat, shifting my weight nervously as I try to prepare myself mentally to say what I need to say.

"I needed to ask you something."

"Yes, I believe we have determined that already."

"Is it possible for you to separate and create your own body?"

Yami Bakura freezes from his careful inspection of the number of ceiling tiles there are in his soul room, his eyes narrowing as they rest on me. I suppress the urge to scream in fear and run out of the room yammering like an idiot, but I have a feeling that I couldn't even if I wanted to… I seem to recall the sound of a lock snapping in place when the door slammed shut.

For a moment, he looks like he's going to toy with my mind again, but for some reason decides against it.

"Yes, I can. But it takes much more energy than I'm willing to use, especially if it's for a long period of time. And it's not a real body," he pauses as he lets that information sink in, "I suppose you can say that it's like a ghost."

"Would anybody be able to see you?"

He goes back to his inspection of the ceiling tiles, "I'm sure that if the pharaoh got off his ass and took the time to look, he would. Maybe even your pretty boy lover, but I'm not making any guarantees on that one.

"And before you ask, no. I'm not going to separate from you and lead them here."

There is no way he can _not_ be psychic… unless I'm so pathetically obvious that he can tell before I say anything? What a thought…

"You know where the exit is," he waves his hand at the door dismissively, and the sound of the lock being undone echoes in the empty room.

"Onegai? [4]" I take a deep breath before I repeat my whispered plea, "Onegaishimasu?" My head is bowed so I don't know what type of reaction he has, although I am taking a bit of a fascination with the floor.

Silence follows the soft appeal, and I wait for him to simply shove me out of his room and end the matter. Instead, he surprises me again.

"Why should I?"

To be truthful, I honestly don't know.

Maybe if I was more creative, I would have appealed to his sense of competition. To his thirst to prove himself better than everybody else. To… something other than what I do instead.

"Because I don't want Kaiba-kun to be hurt."

Before I know what's happening, I can see his shoes and his hand reaches out to grasp my face, pulling it up to look at him. I squirm a bit nervously in his grasp, but fight the fear down to a manageable level which allows me to stand there motionlessly. His eyes are even more… disturbing up-close, glaring right through my eyes and into mind as if trying to figure out each and every thing that's running through it right now.

"That's a really bad reason, yadonushi."

I supress a shudder.

"I know."

Well, what else can I say?

His eyes narrow as he throws me back, causing me to stumble. Without waiting for me to gain my balance, he grabs my arm, pulls open the door, and literally throws me back into reality.

~ * ~

"Bakura-kun!"

I groan softly as feelings return to me, and I open my eyes to find myself looking into Otogi-kun's worried green eyes. Well, now I understand what Jyounouchi-kun means when he says that Yami Bakura's eyes are similar to Otogi-kun's eyes… although his are nowhere near as scary as the spirit's.

"What do you think you were doing?!" he yells, although you can tell from his expression that it was more from worry than anger, "The least you could have done was give me a head's up! One second you were thinking about what I said, then your Sennen Ring is glowing and you spend over half an hour zoned out! I thought you died or something!"

"Gomen, Otogi-kun," I apologize quickly… I really should have given him a warning, shouldn't I? But it's too late for that.

"Gomen? That's all you can say?!" Otogi-kun grits his teeth and then shakes his head, obviously giving up on me, "Okay… fine… I won't ask. But may I ask exactly what you were doing?"

That, Otogi-kun, is the question of the day it seems.

"I…" I frown as I contemplate the question. Should I tell him the truth?

_Yami Bakura?_ I think nervously, hoping for an answer. There is none, just dead silence. _Are you there?_

Ignoring Otogi-kun's stare (for the second time in a relatively short period of time… I will seriously be needing to see a head shrink once this is through), my hands clumsily grope for the Sennen Ring. Much to my surprise, the smooth metal is icy cold, rather than the inviting warmth that it usually emits.

I can't help but freeze at those implications.

Quickly withdrawing into myself, I search for Yami Bakura's presence, only to get nothing but an empty feeling that I never could have imagined.

"Bakura-kun?"

I smile weakly at Otogi-kun, "I do believe I'm losing it."

"What makes you think that?" he drawls, a familiar gesture that makes me feel lonely for the one person who I should never have to be lonely for. 

It's amazing how lonely I can feel after I thought I had already experienced the epitome of loneliness. Even odder that the person who had isolated me for so long should cause me to feel this way…

I just smile emptily at him.

"Cause the sugarplum fairy is granting my wish." 

Translations and notes:

[1] Perhaps it seems odd that in this story, Ryou applies 'Yami-kun' to Yami no Yuugi while he says Yami Bakura (or Yami no Bakura) completely, but since I have yet to see him address either (well, he calls Yami no Yuugi 'Yuugi', so I don't want to confuse you people on that note), my reasoning is that Ryou would be closer to Yami no Yuugi than to the spirit in his Sennen Ring. It might not make a whole lot of sense (admittedly, it does _not_ make that much sense), but that's just how I see it…

[2] Iya = more informal version of 'no', compared to 'iie'. I wouldn't have mentioned this, but I remembered on how it confused one of my friends, so I decided to make a note on it. Think I used it before though… O_o

[3] Err…

[4] Please?

PM: I more or less wrote the first part three times… the first time was an Alice in Wonderland parody, the second was an extension of the Nutcracker, and third was what it turned out to be. Given my choice, I would probably stick to this one, although the Alice in Wonderland version was also pretty amusing. Still… I changed from Alice in Wonderland to The Nutcracker because I thought that the Nutcracker would help more in the course of the chapter than the Alice one could. Also, the composer is one of my favorites, which also led to the inspiration… I guess the chapter didn't turn out too bad, right?

Ryuuji: Speak for yourself… I was grievously ignored (*Ryou falls over peevishly*) and I have an ugly bruise marring my looks.

PM *sweatdrops*: Uh… whatever. Anyhow, the first half of the story after the first scene was written on one day, and the second half was written on another… so the vast majority of this chapter took me two days to write while the first scene took me several days. Very pathetic in my opinion, but at least this chapter didn't take nearly as long as the previous to write.

Yue: That might explain why it's so bad…

PM: I have enough pessimism without you contributing, you know! Go make out with Touya or something!

Yue: Okay… *he and Touya are shoved out of the scene before they can make the author notes into some rated R make-out scene*

****

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE:

Chapter 11 is a lot longer than I had originally anticipated, and it's taking me a log longer to write it. I made a brief outline and discovered that it's extraordinarily long. Also, I'm not done with the first part… -_-;;; So what I'm trying to say is that I will most likely doing one of two things. One, I might publish next Sunday as usual, but I'll only publish half the chapter. The second choice is that I might not publish the entire chapter for two weeks. I would rather finish chapter 11 and get chapter 12 out of the way as well before 10/10, but as of now, it's not very likely cause I have a lot of schoolwork to worry about. If you people have a preference for one of the choices, please tell me and I'll do my best to accommodate it… otherwise, I'll get to that river when I get to it…

Pikachumaniac


	11. Sun and Moon

Disclaimer: *dances* I got volume 30! I got volume 30! But now I want volume 31! *FAINT* STUPID CLIFFYS!

****

Repost of chapter 11 of Fairydust

PM: Okay, I've decided that I would split chapter 11 into two chapters, which means that this story will be 17 chapters long. Fun. *small sigh* Anyhow, this chapter caused me plenty of stress, so I'm sorry if parts seem to be a bit tedious… (see? I didn't say it sucked!)

Yami: Denial is the first step…

PM: Speaking of which, I'm going to write a Yuugi*Yami fic! *grin* Not Yami*Yuugi fic, but Yuugi*Yami!

Yami: *pause* Help…

PM: *sheepish grin* Anywho, getting back to topic, this chapter is written in Yami no Yuugi's POV again. And for those who might be wondering why I don't write in Kaiba-kun's POV… well, as I explained to Kei-kun, I wanted an outsider POV who can observe without becoming a part of the relationship. By writing in Kaiba-kun's POV, it ruins the rest of the story because then you know what he's thinking, rather than simply speculation from both Yami no Yuugi and Ryou. ^_~ See? I did have reasons! *grin* And for the people who asked what yadonushi means… this is the third time I'm stating it (:P Don't worry about it). Yadonushi is what Yami no Bakura calls Ryou… it means king's property or king's home. Etc. ^^;; Anyhow, this IS the REPOST of chapter 11 because of all the niggling mistakes I found that demanded to be corrected… -_-;; Sorry if I raised your hopes, but I need the time for chapter 12.

And yes, still going to have to beg off when it comes to that mightily long paragraph of thank you's. But thanks to those who reviewed chapter 10 and the old chapter 11. :) Arigatou na! :P And as Wildwolf-chan pointed out… Friday was my two year anniversary on FF.net. *toots horn* Okay, that's enough celebration… ;)

~ Sun and Moon ~

__

Yoru no sora ni kagayaku

Tooi gin no tsuki

Yuube yume de saite 'ta

Nobara to onaji iro

~

Yasashii yoru ni

Hitori utau uta

Asu wa kimi to utaou

Yume no tsubasa ni notte…

~ Yoru no Uta [1] 

There's a crystal moon dangling from the lamp, hanging above the mess on Bakura's desk. It catches the light from the miniature Ra (another grand invention that would have been highly useful in Egypt, along with staplers, clocks, paper shredders… and of course, dental floss ::PM: Gomen, mina-san, but I had to do that one for Wildwolf-chan… :P::), casting colorful light rainbows on the piles of paper that seemed to become miniature mountains of terror for all college students.

Perhaps I am more tired than I had previously suspected.

Not that it's surprising, since everybody's been asleep for a couple hours while I have been acting as personal secretary and doing all the errands… Or as aibou commented, I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off (something that I find particularly fascinating, seeing that people seem to expire quite quickly soon after losing their heads) since Kaiba came along with his news… But frankly, with aibou sleeping _quite_ peacefully in his soul room, I don't think he is really one to talk.

Anyhow, that previous long explanation might help explain why I've decided not to get up from Bakura's desk… I am too tired to care about anybody finding me here and am also getting rather grumpy.

Even with a certain millionaire/billionaire/somebody-with-a-lot-of-money sleeping on the bed next to me.

Next thing you know, one of Kaiba's little followers will come in and think we're getting together. As if I needed anymore problems, especially if they were to concern _him_.

I suppose that explains why Jyounouchi-kun is sleeping in the common room rather than in his own room. I had been wondering about that… and no, I have no idea why Kaiba would want to sleep in Bakura's bed… besides the obvious reason that still seems so outlandishly impossible that should I voice it, I'll be locked up in a mental institute before I can finish the sentence. Well, at least they'll try to lock me up. Whether they succeed or not is a _completely_ different story (no, of course that is not mocking and evil laughter that I'm mentally indulging in right now).

After Kaiba's unexpected emotional outburst that resulted in his no-longer-very-precious cell phone being broken, the others spent several fruitless moments(about an hour) trying to psychically put the pieces back together. At least, that is what I'm guessing, seeing that it is one of the only plausible reasons for staring at something for such a long period of time… note that I say plausible, rather than reasonable. I believe that we have all run out of that interesting attribute, especially considering what this past week has been like.

For one reason or another (perhaps he was bored with staring at a bunch of people staring at a broken cell phone, or maybe he was simply having an allergic reaction to being in the same room as Jyounouchi-kun and myself?), Kaiba excused himself to do something else, whether that was regret that he no longer had a cell phone to scream at unfortunate subordinates (aka police… is it just me or is Kaiba better trained than most security forces?) or jump off the nearest cliff. I did not know at the time, nor may I profess that I actually cared at the time.

Now… well, I really had no idea why I came here (I probably had some semblance of a reason, but that reason went out the window when I saw who was in the room). Although I must confess that I did indeed have some curiosity in why Jyounouchi-kun would rather sleep on a couch rather than in a bed (no need to point out that he sleeps like a rock no matter where he is sleeping). Certainly though, I did not expect to stumble across Kaiba sleeping in Bakura's bed…

If I was feeling a bit more sadistic, I might seek to exploit Kaiba's helplessness as revenge for all the times he tried to use his advanced technology as an advantage over poor technology-deprived me (okay, so I might be just a bit ticked about that Death-T gig too [2]). But remembering his expression when he told us what had happened to Bakura and Otogi, I can't find it within my heart to do so.

Yes, I do realize that if I was mummified, my heart would most likely (if not pilfered by some thieving tomb robber… will not mention _any_ names) be a shriveled lump currently located in a pretty jar with an animal head. No need for anymore depressing thoughts right now though, especially since there's more than enough of that to go around right now.

I'm tired and for the oddest reason, the crystal moon is exerting some magnetic force and I can't take my eyes from it. I seem to remember Jyounouchi-kun telling me that Bakura's okaasan gave it to him soon after the divorce…

Not that I cannot see why she would give him that, especially since Bakura seems to be a human version of the moon [3] sometimes.

From watching nature programs (which causes aibou to start complaining quite loudly… that is, until I mildly offer to look at his memories in order to educate myself… for some reason, he immediately fell silent after that delicate offer), I've learned that the moon gets its light from Ra! It really was a surprise, since I always thought that the moon created its own light… but a lot of my assumptions have been turned upside down since I've started to take an interest in educating myself… seeing that I have nothing else to do since no more psychotic beings have shown up recently… (How this deals with my odd musings about how Bakura is like that crystal moon from his okaasan, I'm getting to it, really.)

Bakura… although he catches the eye easily, he tends to sink into the crowd personality-wise. When the moon has no reason to make a statement, it too fades into the background, does it not? If I remember correctly, it was called phases…

In no way am I saying that Bakura is a pushover, although I do suppose that I am certainly implying it. But without a cause… without _something_ to spark his inner fire, he'll let the whole world pass by him without ever once blinking as the colors rip by at amazing speeds.

Luckily, that doesn't happen to the point that I need to worry myself about him (unless a certain tomb robber is involved, of course… but that's a completely different story).

What I am saying in overly vague terms though, is that because of Kaiba, he's been thrust into the limelight, something I'm sure (in no uncertain terms) he is not comfortable with.

I can't help but grimace.

Am I somehow implying that _Kaiba_ is the sun? That seems to be a paradox upon all paradoxes…

For the benefit of Yuki and Black Magician, who are probably finding me confusing and overly cynical at the moment, I will explain the previous statement.

Kaiba does stand out in a crowd, and I mean this both physically and personality-wise. But his personality is what gives me reason to pause:

How can anybody with such a cold and distant demeanor be the sun?

Even if he has been brightening these past few days, something that I attribute to Bakura. Which is also implying that in a way, the roles are switched. Or blurred.

I run a finger along the smooth surface of the crystal. It is not a full moon and most certainly not a new moon. It's a… crescent moon, I do believe that's what it's called.

A crescent moon is not yet completely exposed, but there is enough light to force it out of its hiding. But some of it is still hidden from the world.

Does this mean that they have yet to finish the job?

My brow furrows and I scowl. How can a piece of glass cause me so much trouble? I'm sure aibou will be laughing at pitiful me if he was witness to my helpless perplexion… if I don't threaten his life (not sincerely, of course) beforehand…

Besides, one cannot expect somebody to ever completely reveal themselves. We all have our secrets, whether they are intentional or not.

Also, I cannot help but appreciate the surreal beauty of the crescent moon. It has that kind of glow that inspires poets and artists to create their most heartfelt works. The sun gives life, but the moon gives meaning to life… a need to keep going in order to see the beauty of the night.

"Mm… Ryou?"

I jump up in a blind panic. Great, just great! Normally this type of thing would not cause me to react in such a manner, but I will simply blame this on a decided lack of sleep…

Before the frayed and unworking nerves in my brain (is it true that they in all likelihood extracted my physical brain through my _nose_?!) can start to function from the permanent siesta it _just_ had to take, the before mentioned rich egoist stirs and opens hie eyes, staring at me through blurry eyes.

"Ryou?" he slurs almost to the point of incoherency, causing me to sweatdrop. Maybe he got drunk and is now hungover? Because I find it absolutely impossible that he can actually get Bakura and me mixed up otherwise… unless it is the height thing? Hmm…

I can't help but smirk lightly at the knowledge that Kaiba is _not _going to be very pleased with me when he wakes up. Of course, he rarely is pleased when I'm involved (and no Magic and Wizard cards…).

"Not exactly."

There's this long silence as I look back at Bakura's desk in an attempt to haughtily ignore him (and I'm doing a pretty good job!). There is a paper corrected in red ink.

Upon closer inspection, I discover that it's corrected in Kaiba's handwriting… Was he really that bored?

"Yami?" There's a definite scowl in his voice. Well, I certainly feel loved now. Unless his scowl is due more to the fact that I have caught him in a potentially embarrassing moment. In which case, I can only wonder if this will be good blackmail material?

"Aa," I reply nonchalantly, struggling to keep my expression stoic, "You were bored, Kaiba?"

It's not exactly a question since I already know that there is no way in the eyes of Ra (and mighty former pharaoh's, but that's a different story) that he could _not_ have been bored if he randomly decided to proofread a two-hundred-page-or-something-similar-to-that term paper, which is rather discreetly sitting before me.

"What the hell do you want?" he scowls at me as I turn to look back at him, glaring at him sternly. Am I really that detestable to him or something?

I merely shrug, wondering if he will kill me after I ask something that has been bugging me since Monday.

"Do you love him?"

Silence. I haven't heard silence like this since the time aibou wouldn't speak to me for a week since I told Anzu quite frankly that he was madly in love with her and he was too busy trying to make everybody else happy to worry about himself. Well, this of course caused the poor guy to go a bit off the deep end, which is a rather mild way of putting things when you consider how long he screamed at me before sulking. And the only thing I can ask is why he would feel that way especially since that was how the two _finally_ got together. Either that, or it might end up being like the on-going soap-operaish relationship of Honda-kun and Otogi, who will be my next victims after Kaiba and Bakura if they haven't gotten together by the time I'm done.

I'm really degrading myself, aren't I? Yami no Yuugi, the matchmaker fairy. Oh Ra, strike me dead now…

_You're already dead,_ aibou interjects sleepily. Before I can open my mouth (kinda), he yawns and goes back to sleep as if he had not said anything. And frankly, I don't think it's very nice to wake up _only_ to tell somebody that they are already dead, but that might just be me.

"Why should I answer you?" Kaiba snarls, jerking me out of my silent pouting at mou hitori no ore, who really is asleep already. Got to give my aibou a medal… I've never seen someone wake up for such a short period of time and fall asleep so quickly.

I smirk… this one was going to be easy. And I was expecting a challenge?

"Better me than Jyounouchi-kun."

You can just see his eyebrow twitching at that statement. Must resist the urge to yell out triumphant cries, seeing that it will probably be detrimental to my unemotional façade that I think I'm quite good at pulling off. I have a feeling that the superior duelist is always better than the annoying make inu… to him, at least.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" he snaps, looking about ready to go in a corner and sulk. I wouldn't be surprised if he did that, at least… it'd certainly be quite amusing in my opinion.

"It's a fair question."

He continues to give me that glare that has long ago lost its effectiveness, as I've tried to point out to him repeatedly by yawning in his face when he does that to me (this time is no exception, although I'm more tired than out to annoy him… still, his eyebrow twitches again and his hands clench).

"Why would it matter to you anyway?" he finally realizes that I'm not about to get impressed by glaring and has settled on his own emotionless expression that is not as superior as mine (have I grown egotistical from living in a golden trinket for 5,000 years?), "Or is Jyounouchi setting you up for this?"

"Jyounouchi is asleep in the dorm room since you decided to sleep in his roommate's bed."

"I didn't ask him to leave, did I?" was the flat reply as Kaiba looks past me, "Tsuki… [4]" The word is whispered, but in the resounding silence that was left by his previous remark, I can hear it easily.

"What do you think of when you see the moon?"

"What is it with you and questions?"

I shrug again, "I was jut wondering, Kaiba. There is no need to get so upset. It's not as if I'm attacking you, am I?" The expression on his face conveys his belief otherwise, but I just ignore it. As usual.

"Will you leave me alone if I answer your question?" I guess he's too tired to argue with me today, but I readily accept his offer. I know it's the best I'm going to get, and that there really is no reason to push him any further when he's in this type of mood. Who knows, he might challenge me to a duel or something…

"Aa," I reply, although I'm still not very surprised when he gets up and walks right past me. But because of the void left by the pure silence, I can hear him perfectly when he whispers that single word.

"Ryou."

I blink but in that fraction of a second (don't quite understand that concept, but aibou uses it quite often and I suppose that if he uses it so often, it must have some meaning), he disappears as if he is a specter. Which kind of makes me want to pout, seeing that I'm the spirit/specter who should be doing the disappearing… except since I'm occupying aibou's body, I can't do that since it's a solid body.

It's amazing that even when you expect something, it's still a complete surprise when you actually hear it.

The only sign now that Kaiba was here is the slight indentation of his body on the bed, and the slight swinging back and forth of the crystal moon from the wind created by the force of Kaiba slamming the door to the room.

Aibou, luckily, has not waken up by the ruckus caused by Kaiba slamming the door (good for him because if he _had_ waken up mou hitori no ore, body parts would have been flying). After checking to make sure that he's still sleeping peacefully (quickly handing him Yuki and smiling as he snuggles with him… it's always the simple pleasures that make me grateful that I've been given a second chance at life), I decide to shrug off Kaiba's deliberate snub (not that I'm unused to it) and walk out the door that Kaiba just exited from, although I take the care to close it gently behind me.

Then I turn around and nearly jump out of my skin when I find myself staring at a see-through Yami no Bakura.

As if my day couldn't get any worse already…

~ * ~

Although I manage not to make an embarrassing spectacle of myself by jumping out of my (or to be more correct, _Yuugi's_) skin, I do manage to make an embarrassing spectacle out of myself by falling on my ass. This, of course, causes Yami no Bakura to burst into loud peals of laughter, which makes me wonder if that is sufficient reason for me to banish him to wherever I sent Yami no Malik. I bet those two will get along quite well together if they don't manage to kill each other off before… something that I'm pretty sure that they've already tried to do to each other.

"I gave you much more credit than you deserved, or so it seems."

My eyes narrow as I peer at the tomb robber. There is no way this can be good… I know for a fact that the tomb robber will not lift a finger, to be cliché, unless something was in it for him. While some of the others might have wondered why Yami no Bakura did not help Bakura and Otogi, I know that he would not help unless his precious host was in danger of death. And even then, it would be a close call unless he no longer needed Bakura. That would mean he wouldn't even bother helping.

Which brings me to this point. Why would he be here now? What could he possibly want, and why on earth does he think he'll be able to get it?

"What the hell are you doing here?" I manage to grit out, with much more civility then that… that… tomb robber certainly deserves. The Black Magician was telling me about one of his memories of the past… apparently, the two of us were in a very compromising situation when none other than that fool tomb robber decided to stick his nose in our business. Which, of course, resulted in a perfect opportunity for blackmailing… and most certainly not on my behalf. Apparently, he managed to keep us both quiet while he pilfered a certain priest's store rooms… leaving the two of us for the blame. I wonder how sore my butt was after that?

"Entertainment, or so it seems," he grins. I grimace as I notice for only the millionth time in a row that his canine teeth are slightly pointed. Now, I suppose I can understand why aibou's friends didn't notice for an excruciatingly long amount of time that he changed height, got a lower voice, different hair, and so on when he switched places with me, but how could anybody not notice the change between Bakura and Yami no Bakura? For example, one of them is completely insane, and I in no way mean this jokingly.

"What do you want?" I repeat flatly, hand edging for the Sennen Puzzle to hold it protectively. I managed to expel his soul the last time, and if my knowledge serves me correctly, mou hitori no boku hasn't gone around breaking the Sennen Puzzle again (okay, that was cruel of me to say, especially since it was not his fault that the Sennen Puzzle got broken the first time). But who knows, especially when Bakura really does live right across the hallway?

He shrugs dismissively, inspecting his immaculate nails as I growl and my nails dig into the palms of my hands as I resist the urge to strangle him.

Okay, I solemnly promise not to _ever_ annoy anybody as much as this tomb robber annoys me… then again, just knowing that he's breathing is enough to send me into an attack of what Jyounouchi-kun terms as 'twitchy eye'.

"I might as well get this over with," his red eyes look into mine, "I'm supposed to show you where the yadonushi and Otogi are, apparently."

My suspicions merely mount higher, although my heart (or is it technically aibou's heart, seeing that it's his body and I only have timeshare on it? Or do I create a new body? Is my heart really in a jar with an animal head on it?!) jumps to my throat in naïve hope and anticipation.

Could it be that the tomb robber has turned over a new leaf?

Yeah, and maybe the sky will be maroon with hot green stripes and sewage colored polka dots tomorrow.

"Why?"

Note that I don't say, 'why should I believe you' or 'why are you doing this' because I have so many questions that start with 'why' and all of them want to be answered.

But do I really expect Yami no Bakura to answer any of the questions? To be frank, no. However, this doesn't mean I'm about to trust him blindly.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, pharaoh." I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from issuing a sharp remark. What is it with stubborn people who seem to have unwarranted grudges against me? Is it merely that the whole world is against me or something of the sort? I don't quite understand all this negatively, but I can't help but find it rather annoying, "Do you really think I would risk the health and safety of the yadonushi merely to play a prank on you?"

To be frank? "Yes."

He sighs, sounding very annoyed with me. Well, the feeling is mutual here.

"Look, I'm not going to waste my time convincing you that my intentions are… real…" he looks angered by the word, as if it took him a great deal of pain to say it, "I don't have to do this."

"I know you don't. That's why I'm suspicious," I reply flatly.

_Mou hitori no boku…_

I flinch, something that I hope Yami no Bakura doesn't notice but I know he will, _Yes, aibou?_

_Maybe we should listen to him… I mean, I know you don't like him and trust him, but maybe he is really trying to help Bakura-kun and Otogi-kun?_

Sometimes, aibou is too kind for his own good. I don't wish to sound cynical when I say this, but half of him is grown up and the other half is still stuck in his childhood. I don't know how he does it… I would think that having his life threatened several times by psychopaths would take away his naïve willingness to trust so easily. But over and over again, he manages to surprise me with how gentle he can be at the oddest times.

_You do understand this is Yami no Bakura we are talking about?_ The guy who has tried to kill us several times, perhaps?

_Hai._

I sigh as I run a hand through my bangs, watching in absolute fascination as the strands fall back perfectly into place. If I didn't know better, I would think that mou hitori no ore pasted his hair together… even then though, I know that others must think that when they see us.

"All right, Yami no Bakura," I look at him. Give him credit, he still has the same bored expression on my face, something that is rather detrimental to my pride. People are supposed to flinch from my oh-so-frightening glare, but I think Yami no Bakura is too insane to notice, "Convince me. Tell me why you are doing this."

_Mou hitori no boku! You know he won't tell us!_

I shrug mentally, _You'll be surprised._

Yami no Bakura raises an eyebrow as he looks away, "I thought we already established that I'm not going to explain myself."

"And I believe that I've established the fact that I'm not going to believe you until you tell me why you are doing this."

_Mou hitori no boku!_

"You've never cared for Bakura except as your tool, why start now? Certainly you would not care for his friends, seeing how many you have killed or trapped within game pieces. So why now? What reasons do you have to suddenly want to help? Why do you care now?" I question, watching for any reaction in his movements to give me any indication of an answer.

There is a long pause, in which he continues to inspect the posters on the wall critically. Although I know for one that he is not an art lover… unless it's going to bring him a sum.

Just when I'm about to give up on him, he cocks his head at me slightly, speaking in the same, bored monotone voice that he has used this entire time.

"Despite what you might think, Yami no Yuugi, I am also plagued by that troublesome burden we term as emotions. Only the gods know why they were determined to force me to deal with them, and I curse them all to eternal torture for doing such a thing." The words are spoken calmly and simply, without a hint of emotion so it makes it stunningly hard to believe the words coming out of his mouth.

He smirks lightly, probably noticing that I'm openly staring at him.

"Is that a good enough reason, pharaoh?" he questions.

"You do realize that if you think you had a hard time convincing me to listen to you, that I'm going to have an even harder time convincing the others to believe me when I say you told me where Bakura and Otogi are," I reply flatly, staring at and through him… seeing that he is translucent.

"That's your problem."

"Can anybody else see you?" I ask quizzically. It's something I actually wondered about but never tried, seeing that I have no reason to separate from aibou. But it'll be useful to know, and since the tomb robber appears to be in a more giving mood, maybe I'll get something out of this besides a headache.

"Why do you want to know?" he smirks. I groan mentally as aibou sighs softly. He shrugs and continues, "The priest could probably see me."

"Why didn't you try it then?"

"Well…" he pauses as he searches for the right words, "I already know he can see me. And what would be the fun of traumatizing him for life if he can see me?"

_Why can Kaiba-kun see him?_ aibou wonders.

_It is because Kaiba also lived in the past._ I explain quickly, although I have other theories…

I look at Yami no Bakura, and he smirks at me knowingly. He knows what I'm thinking, and this is his way of showing me that I'm right. Not that I particularly enjoy having Yami no Bakura assert my feelings, but I'm feeling rather pragmatic and it's better than nothing.

Kaiba, in all likelihood, would not have been able to see Yami no Bakura in normal circumstances.

But I have a feeling that since he cares for Bakura, he's able to see a lot more now.

~ * ~

I will resist temptation. Temptation to mind crush them all at least!

"Are you sure you haven't been feeling sick lately, Yami?"

My teeth clench and I glare at Jyounouchi-kun, no doubt in my mind left of him surviving our next encounter. Once I convince them that I'm not insane and persuade them to follow Yami no Bakura to wherever Bakura and Otogi are being held.

_Calm down, mou hitori no boku._

Would you like to take my place?! I shrill loudly, causing aibou to wince at the intense emotions weaved through my voice.

_Not really…_

_…_ I roll my eyes and turn back to the others, who have the presumption that I'm mentally unbalanced even more firmly lodged in their minds. Well, nothing a simple mind crush will not cure, I am sure! After all, rearranging their minds will make them open-minded… hopefully. Who knows with this group?

"Would I joke about something like this, Jyounouchi-kun?" I bite out, already feeling very short-tempered. I've had enough trouble speaking to Kaiba and Yami no Bakura, and I don't need anymore trouble! I can't help but wonder that if the Sennen Eye should start to glow on my forehead if it would help convince them that I am not joking around.

He shrugs, a gesture that does nothing except to piss me off even more, "You are the one who came bursting in here saying that Yami no Bakura is here and was going to give us directions to where Bakura and Otogi are. But there's nobody here, and certainly not Yami no Bakura."

I'm starting to get a headache, especially as an uncomfortable pounding starts to echo in my temples. My eyebrow twitches, a sign that I'm starting to get extremely pissed off.

"I already explained that you that when a spirit separates from his host, they take a translucent form which cannot be seen except by other spirits or those who have very close connections to ancient Egypt." Will not bother to elaborate on that, seeing that Kaiba appears to be half listening and half dead.

"Even if what you're saying is true, why would Yami no Bakura want to help them?" Anzu speaks up for the first time in a while, voicing the question that I've been continuously asking. And have yet to find a sufficiently decent answer for, by the way…

_Maybe I should just blame it on you…_

That's not nice… aibou pouts, and I can only grin crookedly before returning to my present predicament. It's so much easier to deal with aibou in that detached reality which I have grown so used to… after all, one does tend to become close to their surroundings in 5,000 years.

I understand that change is not always welcomed. Being exposed to a world that was so fascinating and frustrating at the same time, it's a wonder that anybody can walk out into the world instead of just curling up into a corner and crying until they shrivel away into nothing.

Finally, I sigh and look at the small group in the eye. I know them and they know me, and I'm going to be frank with them. No frills, no decorations, no pomp, and no elaboration.

"You've asked good questions. Questions that I have asked." Then I shrug. "I don't really have answers to them."

"Then why…" Honda-kun starts, but stops as I look over at him in a quiet way of asking him to remain silent before I am done. He complies with my request, something that I'm thankful for.

To be truthful, I still don't quite know why I have agreed to this. Their questions have merely arisen new suspicions in my mind.

But aibou trusts him…

Then again, aibou does trust people too easily.

I can't help but jerk suddenly as I feel mou hitori no ore taking my hand, smiling his reassuring smile. There is one thing I must admit though… he hasn't been wrong that often.

I smile back, feeling that contented rush of emotions spreading over me in a rush that should be overwhelming but is merely soothing.

From behind me, I can feel Yami no Bakura smirking at me. I will be preceding to kill him later.

"I trust him this time. I don't quite know why I trust him, nor do I understand what he has done in order to warrant my trust. However, I also know that I'm tired of sitting around and waiting for people who we also cannot trust to return Bakura and Otogi. Who is to say that they don't continue to hold them and use them as leverage against you?" I no longer am speaking to the group, but looking directly at Kaiba. He doesn't flinch at my words, instead just watching me carefully as if waiting for me to explain such foolish-sounding words.

"I would rather trust the tomb robber, who has something at risk, then somebody who has nothing to lose but plenty to gain." Hmm, is it me or have I become a sprouting cliché machine? Perhaps aibou is correct, and an excessive amount of television really does turn the brain into mush.

"You're putting a lot of faith into that speculation, you do realize…" Kaiba's mouth quirks up slightly, something that has not and will not ever cease to irritate me. He always looks amused when he does that, and I really don't think I am an amusing person… Why is it that everybody forgets I'm pharaoh? Well, besides the fact that I don't remember much of that anyway… still, don't these people respect their elders? I'm certainly that, right?

"You have permission to punch me when I fail to realize that," I reply dryly.

He continues to look at me, and I can only raise an eyebrow. I know he'll do it… perhaps before, I would have doubted it, but I realize now that he has stepped over the barrier. He's given into his feelings, just as Yami no Bakura has.

The moon cannot live without the sun.

But the sun cannot appreciate the true beauty of life when it is alone.

Translations and Notes:

[1] In the night sky, it sparkles; the distant moon of silver; the same color as the wild rose; that was blooming in my dream last night. In the gentle night; I sing this song alone; Let me sing with you tomorrow; Riding the wings of dreams. (Song of the Night from Cardcaptor Sakura) The semicolons are simply saying where the line ended, although that might not necessarily be where the sentence ended.

[2] Reference to manga volume 4. Kaiba-kun wasn't too cute there, I can tell you that!

[3] *PM runs away from CCS Yue, yelping as she ducks a barrage of his ice crystals* (yep, I was a feeling bit silly when I wrote this part of the chapter :P).

[4] Moon

PM: Yeah, yeah, yeah, just small details but they were big enough to give me a headache everytime I looked at them. I also wanted to announce things. *glares at everybody* Pay attention!

I have finally figured out how to do chapter 12 (and whoohoo, it only took me a week to figure it out… yes, that was blatant sarcasm), so hopefully I'll be able to finish that and a couple of chapters by next week. Also, this ISN'T the last chapter with Yami no Yuugi POV. I decided to do some for about half of the next chapter… I'm sure you're looking forward to that, ne? :P I think that's it, but sorry if I heightened your hopes about a new chapter… not happening at the moment. *sulks* So busy with many stories. Bleh. Yuugi*Yami, with Yami as uke. Hmm. And by the way, sorry about the confusion… the story is 17 chapters, and I don't plan on stopping because I have a feeling that you'll come after me with pitchforks… -_-;;

Pikachumaniac


	12. Snuggle

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh… now please excuse me, I must extract some revenge.

Fairydust

PM: *huggles Ryuuji* I want to see you with your hair down… *dreamy look*

Ryuuji: O.O?!?!?!?!

PM: I do! I do! And did anybody see the Harry Potter movie yet? PAS and I screamed (along with half the theater) during one of the scenes… eep. And Harry and Ron were getting a bit close there, ne? *winks suggestively*

Jyou: Stop scaring the little children.

PM: I am not… and just out of curiosity, how was that movie rated PG? I think it should have been rated PG-13.

Lance: Did anybody ever tell you that you talk too much?

PM: My parents? Anyhow, minna, remember that the first part of this chapter alternates between **Yami no Yuugi** POV **Ryou** POV, starting with Yami-kun's POV. I'll tell you where one ends and the other starts though, promise. ^_~ And the chappy takes place… uh… Friday night or so. I guess… maybe afternoon? Evening? Eep…

ANYWHO, thankies to people who reviewed the last chapter: Wildwolf (yeah, yeah, I noticed my mistake… :P), Angel-Belle, Indigo Tantarian (:P Your wish is my command), dilanda, Digital Freak(hopefully all misunderstandings have been cleared up with my slight editations in the last chappy), Shinigami (big words? I wish my English teacher can hear that…), tuulikki (my 7th grade science teacher always did say that patience is a virtue), crystaldraygon98 (this entire chapter was in Yami POV, so the first conversation was between Yami and Seto, but Seto thought it was Ryou at first), Bronze Eagle (sorry my e-mail was so incoherent… was in a bit of a mood when I wrote it), *i n c o h e r e n t* (evil symbolism in my mind :P), Neko-chan (Yami: Yuugi*Yami is NOT good), Nalan Li (Yami no Yuugi POV is so amusing… I had to write more of it! EEP!), loanshark (:P Thankies for the compliments), Aishiteru Tenshi, JediMasterYami (if it makes you feel better, I'm SUPPOSED to be studying for an English test… :P), fani90, and Sad Andy (no, no, the new chapter is right here! Kinda… umm…). ^_^ Arigatou minna!

Also… *grins* I got the third Yu-gi-oh box set… see many signs of Honda*Otogi, I do indeed! *cackles delightfully* Watch out everyone!!

~ Snuggle ~

Jyounouchi-kun. Cannot. Drive.

I do not jest when I say this, nor do I say this with _any_ good humor. Let me just say that if that guy _ever_ gets his hands on a car wheel again, I will do the world a favor and kill him. Slowly. Painfully. In no way is this decision influenced by the fact that he nearly _killed_ us on the way here. Of course not. I'm beginning to wonder if he got his driving lessons from Mai [1], seeing that both of them have the uncanny ability to drive on the _wrong side of the road_ and still curse the other driver for reckless driving.

Or something like that. I was too busy going deaf from listening to Anzu scream in terror, as well as participating in the before mentioned activity.

Since there were five of us (seven if you want to count Yami no Bakura and myself, but since we don't take up space, I will not) and, if we succeeded, would later be having seven people, Kaiba decided to call and get another car. Do not ask how many cars that man has because the answer will probably make you have a nosebleed. He didn't even bother to explain himself to his servants, who brought the car over like faithful lapdogs and gave him the keys. Kaiba barely blinked as he took the keys and walked towards the cars. Upon which, he finally noticed that there were two cars and he was the only driver.

Certainly, Jyounouchi-kun was not the first person Kaiba asked to drive his obviously very expensive cars. But what other choice did he have? Honda-kun might have been able to drive but he was emotionally incompetent at the time. Anzu can drive but she was afraid to drive such an expensive car… and as for me, aibou and I never bothered to learn how to drive. Okay, so it had something to do with the fact that I am scared of such complicated machines and besides, walking is good for you! That's what we did back in Egypt… I think. Will ignore aibou's comments that I was probably carried everywhere, that little… urgh. I can't insult aibou without feeling guilty, so I'll let him go this time.

"No."

Jyounouchi-kun was grinning and Kaiba was staring at him as if Anubis himself had come to claim his life. Kaiba shot us a pleading look but we just blanched and shook our heads while as Jyounouchi-kun looked ready to crow.

Anyhow, I'm beginning to wish that I had driven… even I, who have never driven before, can drive better than he! I've lost count of how many trashcans he's killed, how many cars he's nearly hit, how many trees he has nearly crashed into, how many cars and pedestrians he has nearly run over… etc, etc.

"Whoo! So, what did I tell you? Can I drive or what?"

Anzu and I both twitch as we shakily get out of the car. Even Yami no Bakura, who is in his spirit-form, looks a bit green as he also gets out. And to think that he had been mocking Anzu and I when Jyounouchi-kun had first nearly run over that bird.

Speaking of which, how _does_ one manage to nearly run over a bird?!

I was kinda surprised when Kaiba told me to go with Jyounouchi-kun, unless it had something to do with how he was hoping to get rid of two problems with one action. Ugh, I'm getting a bit cynical and pessimistic. Honda-kun went with Kaiba, so they both look relatively unscathed, but as for the three of us who were stuck with Jyounouchi-kun…

"When I get back into the yadonushi," Yami no Bakura hisses softly, looking threatening but rather funny at the same time since he is still rather green, "I'm going to rip that blonde limb from limb."

For once we agree. Ignoring the fact that I'm still dizzy from the drive and my throat is raw from screaming Egyptian curses that I'm not supposed to know from all the times that Jyounouchi-kun nearly crashed into _something_, I stalk over to Kaiba, softly snarling those before-mentioned Egyptian curses.

"Is this the place?" Kaiba asks quietly. He also looks rather amused at my state of disarray, and it takes all my self-control not to jump on him like a rabid beast and beat the crap out of him.

A _lot_ of self-control.

"Does he think I would have endured that… that… _thing's_ driving any longer by directing you to the wrong place?!" Yami no Bakura screams, causing both Kaiba and I to blink at him as he continues to rant. It's kinda amusing, actually, for the tomb robber to be having such a temper tantrum and to only have Kaiba and I notice, both of whom are not feeling very sympathetic right now.

"I get your point," Kaiba smirks, causing me to want to slap him… or Mind Crush him… or imitate Yami no Malik and send a shadow monster after him in order to enjoy him as a tasty treat. Not too bony, right?

"The two of us will go, and the rest of you will stay here." The look in Kaiba's eyes say 'no arguments', and surprisingly enough, there aren't any. Perhaps Jyounouchi-kun is on a high from driving in Kaiba's expensive car? I wince as there is a loud crash, and the... err... fender, I think... falls off with a sickening crash. Kaiba's expression doesn't change, although his eyebrow does twitch slightly and he grows several shades paler.

Finally, he turns around and stalks into the building.

I've lost track of where we went and where we now are, but it appears to be on the outskirts of Tokyo in an area that is probably rarely visited. And probably for good reason as well, since the area also appears to be abandoned by all sane people. Luckily, we don't fit this definition, but that's a different story.

"Aren't you coming?" Kaiba asks, sounding rather bad-tempered.

"This is where I leave you," Yami no Bakura grins at me with that grin that I really wish I could rip off his face in one satisfying action. Before I can protest, he fades away, probably returning to Bakura or setting up his trap or… something. I must confess that I am no longer at the ability to care or deal with such matters, just wanting this whole ordeal over with.

"Well?"

I just sigh and follow after the extremely impatient Kaiba, muttering something about traps and the such.

_Mou hitori no boku, have a little more faith…_ aibou frowns.

__

I merely grunt, _If you are wrong, am I allowed to say 'I told you so' as many times as I want?_

If you really want to. I don't like dealing with you when you're sulking, he replies pertly.

__

I am not_ sulking!_ I sulk softly.

~ * ~ Ryou

"There are thirty cans of tomato juice here. Should we be worried?"

I sweatdrop as Otogi-kun slams the refrigerator door shut, glaring at it as if it had offended him. Although I suppose that the selection of drinks is very offensive to him, considering I have not ever seen him drink anything healthier than orange soda, which he claims _is_ healthy since it is _orange_ soda. I don't have the heart to shatter his misconceptions, so I have just left it there…

But I do remember that once, okaasan bought… well, I don't remember the exact number, but I do know that it was simply too many… cans of tomato juice because they were on sale. The only problem was that _nobody_… and I mean nobody… in our family would touch the thing. Including her. To be frank, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the tomato juice is still there, seeing that she can't even get visitors to drink it. I wonder how much mold has grown on them by now?

"I think we have other things to worry about, Otogi-kun."

Pause.

"Like?"

I resist the urge to smack him, even though he brings up a very good point. The two of us, after waking up (and enduring Otogi-kun's screaming at me for causing him to worry so much on my account), had scoured our… well, prison, since that is basically what it is… for any chances of escape.

In the process, we have learned that unless the unlikely event of the two of us sprouting wings and/or turning into movable liquid should occur, neither of us will be getting out anytime soon. Also, judging from the supplies that had been left for us, I have a feeling that we are going to be here for quite a while.

It also doesn't help that we don't have any idea of where we are. I didn't wake up until after Otogi-kun did, and he didn't wake up until after we were already here and who knows how long had passed. The small, barred window also serves to provide us with no clues, as it looks like it could be any part of Tokyo. And who said it even was Tokyo? By the time we had waken up yesterday, night had already fallen. We could be hours away…

Such news isn't really making me feel better. In fact, I'm starting to feel a bit ill, but that's a different story.

"This is going to be quite a story to tell to our grandchildren," Otogi-kun is still glaring at the offensive refrigerator, "Kidnapped and left with nothing but thirty cans of tomato juice."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating," I mumble before blinking at him, "And how are _you_ going to have grandchildren?"

A long silence follows that statement.

"We could adopt kids, I guess."

"We?" I can only stare at him. Last I heard, he was still having problems telling Honda-kun his feelings. And the events of Wednesday night only served to cement that opinion in my mind, but I'm not going to comment on that right now. Not only am I in the mood to get Otogi-kun mad at me, but he is the only person I will be able to talk to for the next couple of days, unless one of the before mentioned miracles should actually happen. And face it, it isn't. The chances of any of those two events happening are about as rare as Kaiba-kun and I actually getting together.

"Hiroto and I."

"What?" I can only stare at them, all previous thoughts flying out of my mind at alarming speeds that are dizzying and nauseous, "Cho… chotto matte! [2] Since when did you two…"

"We haven't."

I'm confused. I'm not kidding, I really am confused.

"Otogi-kun, I am not exactly grasping what you are trying to say…" I stammer, feeling disconcertingly inadequate and decidedly pathetic. Perhaps they hit Otogi-kun on the head harder than I had previously suspected? Perhaps he is starting to hallucinate?

Or maybe it's just me who is going insane.

"But it's time I told him, huh?"

"You should have told him a long time ago," the words slip out of my mouth faster than I can think about stopping them. An event that seems to be happening an excessive amount of times since Monday, now that I think of it.

"I know…" he grins easily at me, but I don't return the smile. I can't right now… I'm still too busy staring at him as if his head had just fallen off and he is holding it up by the hair (kinda like Yami no Malik, I suppose… although I never got to see that one [3]), "But sometimes it takes a bit of a jolt to get you ready."

"Did you just learn that, Otogi-kun?"

"Iya. I just realized it."

I think he's trying to tell me something, but I'm not quite sure what it is. That's how Otogi-kun is, along with a vast majority of this world. I sometimes wish that they can just say it straight out, but wishes are like bubbles. They tend to pop rather than to float around long enough for somebody to come along and make them last forever.

I suppose that the Otogi-kun and Honda-kun love series has been more roller coasterish than my relationship with Seto, and it's certainly gone on for far longer. Still, I can't help but feel jealous of them and of all the other people who aren't afraid or learn to deal with their fears when it comes to confronting such an important challenge in life.

I don't expect most people to understand, seeing that I didn't understand myself until this week. This experience with Seto has certainly been… eye-opening. For so many years, I have been surrounded by people who I never really understood until now. And I can't help but be jealous of them.

Koushiro-san and Taichi-san, Otogi-kun and Honda-kun. Although they've had to swallow their fears (some more than others), they finally found the courage to say those words.

I've found the courage to say some of the words when I really need to, but have I ever meant them? Not until recently, I can't really say I have. But over the past couple days, I've started feeling emotions that I never really expected to feel.

I've never been able to say anything because I'm not quite sure how Seto feels. Does he feel the same way as I do? Does he think 'Ryou' rather than 'Bakura' in his thoughts, and why do I think 'Seto' instead of 'Kaiba-kun'? No matter how many times I try to tell myself that this is going to be over in a week, that little niggling feeling of hope manages to prevail over all the negative feelings that have ruled my life for so long. It won't leave me alone, and I'm beginning to get astoundingly irritated with it.

Hope is such a frail thing, so how can it wreak so much havoc on my life? I don't quite understand the concept, and I probably never will.

There are just some things in life that will never be explained, and I suppose that it is time that I simply accept them. Not that I really want to, but it's rare that I get to decide things like that on my own.

_There is probably a reason for that._

I jump in shock, ignoring Otogi-kun's stare which I'm getting pretty used to anyway, _Yami… Yami Bakura?_

_Well, it's not the sugar-plum fairy._

I can only laugh nervously at that one… either he's getting much better at reading my mind or somebody has a dramatic flair for irony (perhaps both?), _Um…_

_Did you miss me, yadonushi?_ he asks mockingly.

I can't help but cringe at the familiar question as my hands finally start working and quickly move to grasp the Sennen Ring, which is again emitting a pleasant and comforting warmth that I have always found rather ironic, considering how cold and distant the spirit is, _What… what… I thought you were…_

_I did my part. You owe me now,_ he replies calmly before withdrawing from my consciousness. I sigh and drop the Sennen Ring, trying to contemplate exactly what he just said.

"He came back?"

I feel like I should go and cry in a corner due to abject depression, although I don't even know why I'm feeling this way. How is it that Yami Bakura can make me feel like this, like an insignificant speck with no will of my own? How does anybody? Am I just stressed right now, or am I always this way?

"Ha… ha… hai…"

Otogi-kun nods absent-mindedly, green eyes looking off into the distance so I can't really tell what he is thinking about. Then again, I rarely know what people are thinking about. Besides, I don't think it's very polite to pry into people's thoughts. Although a certain person with timeshare on my body certainly does not feel the same way.

Before I can reply, I hear a familiar voice yelling and know that this ordeal is almost over. For better or for worse.

"_Mind Crush!!"_

~ * ~ Yami

I don't like using my yami no powers, despite what some people might think. Considering how I use it so often, some might think I enjoy it, but I really don't. Imagine what would happen if you had the power to go around and destroy somebody's mind (and I don't mean getting locked up in a zoo, laboratory, or freak show, mind you), even if they did deserve it. Sure, some of them deserve it, but…

When I was pharaoh, I probably had to use my own judgement when it came to such matters. But you can't help but always wonder the eternal question, 'what if I was wrong?' What then?

As human beings (or dead humans who are now spirits and can no longer stay in their real bodies since those bodies are most likely lacking certain essential body parts and the such), we cannot be one hundred percent correct. Most of the time, the mistakes aren't very life-threatening, but those few times when people do die, what then? What can we do?

I don't know the answer. I wonder if I used to feel like this, or if it is merely because I have had 5,000 years simply to sit there and think. Just imagine, if I could have put my thoughts on papyrus and published them as the years went on, I could have written a book long enough to rival a set of encyclopedias.

The building is one of those deceptive buildings. It looks worn-down and simply unlivable from the outside, but inside it is actually quite accommodating. Then again, this is Big 5 that we are talking about, so I suppose that I should have no reason to doubt that they wouldn't finance their own workers.

"They're over there," Kaiba's voice interrupts my thought process, quiet but firm in its intent as he simply starts walking towards the area where the voices are coming from. I want to slap my forehead in disgust. Has love addled his brain to the point where he has less sense than Jyounouchi-kun? Or does he now possess a level of arrogance that cannot be comprehended by sane people? Last I checked, he has _no_ means of protection against metal slugs, not even that stupid metal suitcase he used to carry around all the time when I first met him (and used to hit aibou… [4] will not twitch angrily and allow temper/emotions to take over reason, as a certain brunette standing next to me has allowed)!

"Kaiba, you stubborn and arrogant fool!" I hiss softly, although he's too far away to hear me. Unfortunately. Perhaps he thinks that he can just waltz right in there strutting as he usually does and they will cower at his oh-so-frightening presence?

At the rate his intelligence is clearly dropping, he probably is going to be delivered to Big 5's doorstep with a pretty pink ribbon in his hair, just as he had predicted before. I can only hope that I'm not going along for the ride.

As amusing as the concept of Kaiba with a ribbon in his hair would be, I know of several people who wouldn't be very happy with me if I do not do anything (although I do know of someone… coughJyounouchicough… who will be equally amused as I, if not more so). So I might as well swallow my pride and go save the egotist. Who knows, I might come up with a good blackmailing opportunity later.

Speaking of which, they surely have noticed an angry rich man stalking towards them by now, right? And the surprised yells coming from the direction Kaiba stalked off into seem to confirm my suspicions.

_Mou hitori no boku…_ aibou (aka my conscience, so it seems) chides.

_I'm going… I'm going…_ I mutter mentally as I run in the direction that Kaiba took.

Apparently, the surprise hadn't lasted for long because by the time I got there, two young men who barely look out of college (if even that) both have guns aimed at Kaiba.

In a way, I cannot help but feel sorry for them. Their gaunt cheeks and seemingly anorexic figures obviously are undesired causes that have led them to such desperate matters. Some people argue that if somebody is able, they should automatically be able to get work. But how many openings are there, and how many people are competing to get those positions? Exactly how valid is such a statement, how possible is such a reality? It would be nice if it was real, but there are many things in life that would be nice if they were real. This is just another one of them, but like the others, the chances of it coming true are less than what one could reasonably hope for.

"You… you're not supposed to be here!" there's a slight quake in his voice. Obviously, this is more than they could have expected.

"You're one to talk," Kaiba replies coldly, barely noticing that there are guns pointed at various _vital_ body parts. Does he notice, or has he reached a level where he simply has no need to care? Or does he simply know that he is in no real danger? It would serve him right to be proved wrong for once if that is the case, which I certainly hope is not.

They don't reply, although you can tell from their eyes that they are obviously flustered and do not know what to say. They've never done this type of thing before, nor do they have the mental capability to do this with cold intent. They're not the Big 5, who are all clever at manipulation. It's kind of sad, actually, but I don't really have time to dwell on such things.

Perhaps it would do to let them off with a warning, but I somehow don't think that such measures would cut it.

Silently, I walk forward so that I am no longer hidden in the shadows, the darkness, my namesake. Kaiba doesn't move to push me away, but I can feel his eyes baring a whole into me. He's not pleased with my interruption, but I can't really say that I care right now. I can feel the power that I must have trained for so many years start to stir, despite the fact that I have forgotten most of that training. Yet it comes automatically; I am sure my teachers had trained me to the point that I can do this without constantly wondering why it is possible. Although I must admit that I often wish I could figure out the basics to doing these things, but that is a different story for a different time.

"We won," the words slip out coldly, and part of me wonders exactly who is saying those words? Certainly not aibou, but it doesn't really feel like I'm saying them either… "Now you must suffer the consequences."

Have I been watching too many B movies or something? I sound like a gangster on crack or something of the sort… then again, I must wonder how on earth I know this, considering the fact that aibou is supposed to be cute and innocent. Will discount the fact that he was playing with a porn video quite shortly after we were aquatinted with each other… I wonder if Anzu knows about that one?

How often do we have to push away sympathy in order to do what is right?

As the familiar tendrils of power start to curl open, I point my finger at the two young men (how scary that must look… Yuki always seems to be quite impassive when I do that to him) and yell out the familiar words.

"_Mind Crush!_"

~ * ~ Ryou (PM: Say bye-bye to Yami-kun…)

Here's a scene to contemplate on a rainy day. Imagine that you have just been kidnapped for the past twenty-four hours or so, and your saviors have finally come. Now imagine that your friend, who was dragged along on this little escapade completely against his will, was madly in love with one of the rescuers who felt the same way but the two was having more troubles getting together than one would see in a soap opera.

It wasn't long after the two of us heard Yami-kun yelling his familiar phrase before the door was unlocked and Seto… err… Kaiba-kun and Yuugi-kun entered. I suppose Yami-kun had retreated into his soul room, relinquishing control to Yuugi-kun before they opened the door. I've noticed that recently, he has been doing that soon after he plays a batsu game [5]. Although I'm not quite sure why.

"Daijoubu ka?" Yuugi-kun asks quickly as we both nod. Kaiba-kun looks uncomfortable in the scene, his eyes drifting from the back wall to us then to Yuugi-kun then back to the back wall and starting the entire process over. I feel a wave of apprehension wash over me… is he still angry about what I said on Thursday?

"Yuugi! Is everything okay?" Jyounouchi-kun's familiar voice makes itself known as the sound of people running comes closer. Next thing I know, there is Jyounouchi-kun, Anzu, and Honda-kun.

Before any of us can blink, Honda-kun pounces on Otogi-kun. Literally. I've heard that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I've seen it happen to, but isn't this getting a bit extreme?

The whole thing might have been funny if we weren't all busy staring at the scene, considering that none of us is ignorant (well, perhaps with the exception of Kaiba-kun?) of how much trouble the two are… were… having in the process of getting together. Of course, watching the two of them right now, it's only fact that the two are no longer going to keep from saying those words. Although to be technically correct, it was Otogi-kun who was having the initial problems saying those words. Although Honda-kun also seemed to lose his confidence after the initial rejection.

There's a loud crash that causes us all to wince as Otogi-kun loses his balance and they fall on the ground, sprawling in what appears to be a very compromising position. We're all openly staring at the pair, but we might as well be invisible considering how they appear to be ignoring our presence.

"Hiroto, I…" Otogi-kun is cut off when Honda-kun presses his lips against Otogi-kun's. Otogi-kun appears only too happy to shut up and enjoy the kiss.

And he was telling me before that he had been too nervous to tell Honda-kun that he loved him because we were there? He certainly doesn't appear to have a problem making this into some type of rated R make-out scene. Although I suppose I am not one to talk, considering the incident at the auction house. But… at least we weren't doing it in front of people! They're just doing it right here!

Maybe it's because they have been putting it off for so long, so now they need to make up for the lost time? Or some other type of twisted logic similar to that… I really don't want to know, to tell the truth.

Anyway, I'm about to lose any semblance of innocence (as is Otogi-kun, as the case may be), when I'm jerked out of my dazed stupor by none other than… Kaiba-kun?

He slips his hand around mine, a familiar feeling that I should be used to by now but obviously am not because I can feel the blood rushing into my cheeks… par usual. A smile lights his face, brightening it to the point where he doesn't look at all menacing, a soothing gesture that helps me fight the blush down but causes my heart to start beating like crazy, although I really have no idea why it would do such a thing.

It's only there for a moment before the smile slips off once again, a constant illusion that is too elusive to grasp for an extended period of time. It's quickly replaced by a much more familiar scowl on his face as he pulls me away from the rather distracting scene going on.

"Let's leave the two love birds alone," he growls before smirking at Jyounouchi-kun, "Even you, make inu. Just because you're never going to get any action on your own doesn't mean that you have the right to stick your nose in other's people's business."

This, of course, draws _all_ of us out of stupor (with the exception of Honda-kun and Otogi-kun, who are too busy kissing each other to notice that we're even there, let alone to hear Kaiba-kun speak) as effectively as a bucket of cold water being dumped on us. As for Jyounouchi-kun… he wouldn't have been more jolted if a bolt of lightning had conveniently struck him at this precise moment.

"Why you…" Insert some bad words that made me blush to hear them as Yuugi-kun and Anzu simply sweatdropped and shook their heads, probably trying to pretend that they have no idea who Jyounouchi-kun is.

Kaiba-kun, on the other hand, barely seems to be listening to the insults as he pulls me outside. I want to dance as I breathe _fresh_ air, but luckily I manage to restrain myself. Still, it's nice to be free.

Free? The word seems to have a bit of a bitter edge along it… am I now? I still don't know if Kaiba-kun has acknowledged my rebellion, my balking at his impossible demands. What if he hasn't? What if I'm walking right into another cage?

Although I must admit, his hand no longer feels like a constraint, a chain, as it felt when we first started this charade. It's nice, it's… wanted. Needed. I cant describe the feelings bubbling up within me, threatening to over-spill at the slightest swaying. I've missed him. It sounds odd, but I've missed him.

A part of me still realizes that the chances of this going through is… very slim. Kaiba-kun is not a very easy person to get along with, and I've come to accept that.

Mostly.

But I might as well silence these depressed thoughts… I might as well just make the best out of it right now. There's no real need to dwell on things that I may or may not be able to change.

I don't really want this to end though…

"I was thinking…" Kaiba-kun's soothing voice interrupts my self-pity. He really does have a nice voice… something that some people might not notice because they're so worried about him glaring at them. Exactly how I felt before this whole mess. Although I guess 'mess' isn't really the right word to use, right? Oh Kami-sama, I am really pathetic, aren't I? Okay, I won't answer that. No. I won't.

But instead of his voice calming my jumpy nerves, it serves only to heighten it as I start to have heart palpitations or something of the sort. What if he wants to break it, thinks it's too much trouble for him? What if he wants to end it? What if he doesn't ever want to see me again?

What if, what if, what if? So many questions, and only one person can answer me! I just stare at him, preparing for the worst. After all, when you prepare for the worst or have low expectations, you tend to live a much happier life. Or something like that. However, let me be the first to tell you that it doesn't always work. I should know.

"… about what you said."

Pause and wait for the final blow…

"You were right."

Surprisingly enough, the tone of Seto's… whoops, did it again… oh, what the hell, they _are_ my thoughts, right? Anyhow, the tone of his voice just makes me stare at him in shock, rather than celebrating my victory with a rather badly-timed victory dance. There's just something about it that has me humbled and not in the mood to dance.

"I… I… I…" I stutter, not knowing what to say. I'm flustered and I'm not afraid to admit it. He smiles as he shakes his head, quieting my blustering with a finger on his lips.

"What would you say if the two of us went out tomorrow night, rather than all the other things that were originally planned? I heard there's a good American movie out (PM: Is that possible? *gets whacked by a multitude of rotten veggies…). We could make a date out of it."

A date?

"Kai… Kaiba-kun…" the name, predictably, gets stuck in my throat due to my initial shock. He raises an eyebrow as he silently watches my stuttered attempts.

Before I know it, his free hand runs lovingly through my hair, and I just want to curl up next to him and snuggle him for the rest of my life.

"Should I just take that for a yes?"

I don't know whether to laugh or cry, although I don't know why I should want to do either of the above. So I end up nodding, although this time, I don't feel like I'm walking into a death trap.

For once.

~ * ~

I don't quite recall how long it took for Honda-kun and Otogi-kun to come out, looking rather disheveled and I'm sure that Jyounouchi-kun was twitching when he saw the hickey. Yuugi-kun, Anzu, and Kaiba-kun were thoroughly amused even though Jyounouchi-kun wasn't… is it just me or has Jyounouchi-kun become a lot more protective of just about everyone these days? Except Kaiba-kun, of course.

Then there was a problem with who was going to drive. When Jyounouchi-kun took the keys, Yami-kun suddenly took over Yuugi-kun's body and stated quite flatly that if Jyounouchi-kun had to drive again, he would be indulging in some serious maiming and destruction and the such. Honda-kun was at the moment too wrapped up with Otogi-kun, who had suddenly discovered an obligation to play with Honda-kun's fingers. So they were ruled out.

Finally, Anzu balked at her initial resistance to driving, especially since she was scared of crashing and getting Kaiba-kun very mad at her. I think she did it out of sympathy for Yami-kun, or maybe it was because she also believed that she wouldn't be able to survive another onslaught of Jyounouchi-kun's driving.

Whatever the reason, Jyounouchi-kun ended up sulking in the back of the car as Anzu drove, Yuugi-kun in the seat next to her. Kaiba-kun, of course, drove the second car, and Honda-kun and Otogi-kun snuggled in the back seat.

Something that I really wouldn't mind doing right now, now that I think of it…

Still, rather than indulging in my needs right now, I have something a bit more urgent to tend to. As Kaiba-kun is wrapped up in driving, and Honda-kun and Otogi-kun are wrapped up in each other, I take the opportunity to retreat into my mind.

_What do you want, yadonushi?_ Yami Bakura snaps as soon as he senses my presence.

_I just wanted to thank you._

There is a pause as he contemplates that.

_Thank me?_ There's a small hint of confusion that I notice easily.

I can't help but wonder what exactly he went through back in Egypt to make him the way he is. I know that he retains his memories, unlike Yami-kun, so the question plagues me rather constantly. Such matters also bring quite a bit of sympathy, although sometimes I wonder if he deserves it. But it's moments like this, when he seems confused by a simple act of kindness, that give me no reason to doubt that it's just the way he is…

If he had somebody to love, whether I speak of the past or the present or the future, would he have been or will be a happier person?

It's a constant wonder of the things that love and the such can do for a person, but we usually tend to forget about such things. Still, those few times where I get an opportunity like this to realize the small miracles that pass by us each day… I don't quite know how such matters change my life, but it's helped shape my perspective of life. And ultimately, doesn't that dictate whether or not you enjoy the gift of life?

Translations and Notes:

[1] Reference to volume 23. Hiroto, Ryuuji, and Shizuka meet up with Mai and she drives them to where the Death Anchor battle takes place. Let's just say that Hiroto and Ryuuji were traumatized for life. Later, Mai drives everybody to the Battle City final site.

[2] Wait… wait a second!

[3] Reference to volume 25. In the battle between Yami no Malik and Mai, Yami no Malik makes it a Yami no Game that has the monster attached to the player, so whatever pain the monster feels, the player feels. Mai's monster chops off Yami no Malik's monster, so Yami no Malik's head also comes off. Ick.

[4] Reference to volume 2. Seto steals Sugoroku's Blue-Eyes. When Yuugi asks for it back, Seto whacks him with that metal briefcase. Also a reference to the anime; Pegasus's men start shooting at Seto (dub cut), and he blocks the bullets with it.

[5] Punishment game

PM: Okay, now I ask you to appease my terrible self-confidence… I've been wondering if anybody reads these author notes. If you do, please answer this question: of the following OCs who showed up in this fic, which one was your favorite?? You can choose between Emi-chan, Yoshizawa-san, Michelle, the poor chauffeur who I keep picking on, and of course, the insatiable Yuki who is currently sitting on my bed and staring at me with his big, chocolate brown eyes… *giggle* And if you don't have a favorite, just tell me if you think the OCs were okay… please? :P This _is_ a test! Do not start until your proctor says so! Do not open your test booklet until the time starts! Mark your answers in the scantron or it will not be counted! Do not flip back to previous sections! On the answer booklet, please fill in your name, birthday, social security number, favorite book, number of cavities you have had, how many shoes you have, and the other many other obscure questions that are really just a waste of time!

Koushiro: Are you getting bitter about SATs?

PM: Just a tad.

Pikachumaniac


	13. Clowns and Kindergarten Teachers

Disclaimer: I wish I may I wish I might… I'm still waiting.

Fairydust

PM: Well, I don't have much to say… no funny notes this time, just going to get to the point because I have a feeling that you people want to get on with this chapter. :P Yep, yep, we ARE approaching the conclusion… just this chapter and four others left… it's about time. -_-;;; I've put all my other stories on hiatus to focus on this one. Anyhow, enough of my perpetual whining… chappy takes place on Saturday night… yep, we're moving pretty fast here. :P

Thanks to Mariel for her usual beta-ing… and Ruri-chan for proofing the very end of this chapter and giving me a head's up. And of course, thanks to the people who reviewed chapter 12… -_-;; I'm afraid it wasn't up to par, but I'm proud of it because it's gotten me out of the writer's block that has struck since chapter 9 or so… *ducks Neko-chan's frying pan o' doom…* Eep!

Anyhow, the nice long paragraph that probably sends people into convulsions… :P

Many thanks to *i n c o h e r e n t* (tell me about it! My dad buys anything as long as there are coupons, and we have tons of tomato juice sitting in the cupboard… NOBODY will touch it!), Beholder of the Shadows (I hope your hand feels better! :P), Indigo Tantarian (I got a 1420… my mom wants me to take it AGAIN! Excuse me while I bawl embarassingly loud tears), rayemars (the first thing I think of when you say stream-of-consciousness is Holden Caulfield… *grin* And the chauffeur thinks he should have been chosen too! :)), Juvi (^_~ Wow! I love HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban too! *laughs* It's my favorite of the series!), DragonLUPINZero (:P Well, I hope you liked the chapter!), Ruri-chan (I want to see Baki…), Yuki-chan (yes, finally!), Crystalline Maxwell (Don't take Yuki awayyyyyy!), Linxy, silver werewolf (:P I'm sure you can find better writers than me… Ryou: Do you listen to anybody about the self-esteem thing? PM: Only when they threaten me with frying pans…), Neko-chan (*GLOMP* THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!), fani90, tuulikki (I'm sorry… *blush* But I needed the time…), Shamanic Guardian Lena (it's not over! it's not over!), colorguardie (mwahahaha! My brainwashing is nearly complete!), Achika-chan, goddess of insanity and pauru, Shenya (Yami: See? I'm cool! Ryuuji: And egotistical. Yami: Shut up.), Digital-Freak (SATs are an EVIL standarlized test and they're EVILLLL!), uhh… blank?, loanshark (Michelle is a brief character who shows up in… the charity baby chapter. And Yuki is Yami's stuffed seal… :P), Aishiteru Tenshi (I nearly ran over a bird myself once… but my dad's going 'why are you stopping?!' and I'm screaming 'Cause I nearly ran over the bird!' and he's going 'You can't run over birds!'), SilverMoonNight (cause I have bad self-esteem… but I'm not allowed to insult my story now so I can only insult my a/n's… :P), Screwy Seven Number Four (Yuki *bawls*), dilanda (Ryuuji: I'm happy too!), Aisling Kaiba (I got my manga at a Japanese bookstore… if you have a Japanese or maybe even a Chinese bookstore, I would suggest there. It's not in English yet), and Wildwolf. ^_^ Arigatou minna!

And the results from the poll… Yuki won in a landslide, with the poor, tortured, chauffeur is in second place. :P And Emi-chan got a vote… ^_^ Anyhow, Yuki thanks you all! Wave Yuki! *Yuki waves!*

~ Clowns and Kindergarten Teachers ~

There are a number of good cliches (if there is a such thing) that I can apply to my current situation, but as of right now, I can't think of any. This might be due to the fact that Kaiba-kun really is keeping his promise and rather than running both of us into the ground, we are going on a… date, if that is the term I should apply to it. Whether or not that is the correct word, I don't know, I really don't…

And I don't know exactly why I am so surprised, as Kaiba-kun certainly doesn't seem the type of person to break a promise (then again, I am also no expert on Kaiba-kun's odd little quirks, even if I have come to know him a lot better since that fateful Monday afternoon). But I guess it stems from my philosophy of expecting the worst. Perhaps it seems a bit pessimistic to have such a philosophy, but if you're prepared for the worst and it comes, you're not as disappointed as you could have been. And if something like this happens, something that is admittedly a _lot_ more pleasant than the worst, it's always a pleasant and very much welcome surprise.

Or something like that.

Whatever the reason (seeing that I cannot phantom it for the life of me), I am feeling as bubbly as a little cloud, quickly reinforcing the idea that I must be going insane. I wonder if I will be able to convince otousan that I need to be locked up, and soon…

Then again, considering everyone's reaction when I showed up for class this morning (it was as if a corpse had been reanimated, judging from their reaction. But I guess the whole incident was on the news… am sincerely hoping that otousan and none of his friends happened to watch the news yesterday. But considering my recent run of luck, it's not very likely that such a miracle should occur), it is my firm belief that the whole world has gone insane and that since there's too many of us to simply lock away, this planet should serve as a universal nuthouse and all the sane people should be sent to a colony on the moon where they can be protected from people like us.

The past twenty-four hours or so have been a complete blur. I fell asleep on the car and didn't wake up until the next morning, as somebody had apparently carried me to bed (which, oddly enough, smelled a lot like Kaiba-kun's cologne. Perhaps I really am going insane?). And I woke up this morning to the sound of Jyounouchi-kun complaining about strange sounds and Anzu doing her own share of complaining that Yuugi-kun apparently talks in his sleep (and it took her this long for her to figure that out?) before I went to class as usual, in the mean time passing by Otogi-kun who was asking Yuugi-kun if he knew how quickly he needed to get the bedspread cleaned before it stained (?).

Something tells me that I really don't want to know.

Oh, and class sucked. But I really don't want to go into it right now, except to say that the professor might be having problems using his mouth except to drink from a straw for a while.

Not that it's my fault.

"I made a brief outline of what we'll be doing." Kaiba-kun casually interrupts my thoughts (not that they had any substance worth mentioning of anyway) as I strap on my seatbelt.

I get one look at his list and probably would have fallen off my seat if not for the before mentioned seatbelt, but it's still a very close call. Apparently, Kaiba-kun's definition of 'brief outline' falls quite closely along the lines of his definition of 'few events'. Am I getting bitter about that?

He blinks at me, probably noticing that I have practically keeled over, before smiling sheepishly as he scratches his forehead.

"Or… maybe not…" Kaiba-kun wads up the list and lightly tosses it into the backseat. Immediately I feel guilt gnawing away at my conscience… what if it took him a long time to make that list? What was even on that list anyway? I didn't get beyond the third objective before I started to feel suspiciously dizzy.

"Gomen nasai…"

"You apologize too much." (PM *sulks* Certain people who will remain unnamed have been telling me that too…)

I stare at him, my mouth suddenly feeling very dry. It's as if somebody had gone off and shoved cotton balls down my throat, a thought that isn't very pleasant to think about, mind you.

"Go… gomen…"

He sighs in exaggerated exasperation as I resist the urge to start banging my head on the dashboard, "Don't do that… it's not your fault and you shouldn't think that way."

I can only gape at him, not at all sure if I should just swallow his words without any question. I suppose I should be used to this by now, but it is a bit much to comprehend in a short while.

"Besides," he continues as he stops at a red light, before casually reaching over with one hand to take my right hand (which had, up to this point, been sitting quite uselessly in my lap, making me feel quite similar to a first-grader who has been told to sit still), "I didn't much like that idea anyway."

I blush pink, although it seems like my heart is singing from his words, whether that is the intended affect or not.

And, if I do say so myself, it doesn't feel very unpleasant.

Not at all unpleasant, actually…

~ * ~

"Did you like the movie?"

"Uh…" I kinda blank out as I blink at Kaiba-kun, who has his eyes on the road. You would think that somebody had super-glued them to fixate them considering how he's barely blinking…

The only movie that was playing which didn't involve blood and guts, racy humor, and toilet jokes was an animated movie about a girl who adopts an alien because she thinks it's a dog [1]. Now it might just be me, but even if that alien did get rid of a couple extra limbs and his antennas, he still looks like a pretty messed up dog. And even if he had been run over multiple times, I've seen road kill that was several more times more 'dog looking' than it.

I wonder if Kaiba-kun immediately thought of Yuugi-kun and Yami-kun when it came to the little alien? The fact that it could look so out of place but still not be noticed. Kinda like Yuugi-kun and Yami-kun… and myself and my Yami, I suppose. Not as much of Malik-kun and his Yami, seeing that Yami no Malik has hair that sticks up… and a lot more of it, now that I think of it.

It's odd that we even got an opportunity to watch the movie, seeing that it was released in the summer. But since neither of us were home during the summer (otousan finally took me with him on one of his escapades, and wouldn't you know that he forgot the keys when we got home after a grueling month in Egypt?) and we no longer bothered to question the universe when it came to such odd happenings, we decided to watch the movie.

I guess I should consider it a good choice because we didn't need to think at all during the process of the movie (although I swear that Kaiba-kun cried during the part where the poor alien leaves… [2]) _and_ the added bonus that nobody was there except for us. Which is definitely a good thing because no people means no reporters, although I guess that the subject of our 'affair' is no longer hot news and thus subject to being forgotten.

Hopefully.

Additionally, since we didn't need to think, Kaiba-kun and I got involved in games I will now call 'How long can you kiss somebody without having to stop to breath?' and 'How much of a movie can you miss without completely missing the storyline?'. Okay, so there is no need for an excessive amount of sarcasm, but maybe I'm not being sarcastic. We really _did_ do those things, although I have problems believing it myself.

Perhaps I am sounding this way because I myself am confused about why we are acting like this, especially after our argument. Could it be that we are both wondering about that inevitable maybe, that maybe something more will come out of this then we had both imagined? Or maybe we're just making the most out of it before it's over.

Will it ever be over?

"I'll just take that as a yes," Kaiba-kun glances over at me casually, a smile tugging at his lips, "I actually liked it myself. Except it reminded me a bit too much of the make inu and Yami."

"I never knew you were one to enjoy family movies," I say without thinking. Oh, smart move… really good move right there. But he doesn't look like he minds, and in a way, I was kinda expecting him not to…

"I also read shoujo manga, in case you have forgotten…" he reminds me, grinning brightly, "But don't tell anybody. It might ruin my reputation."

I can't help but laugh… I wonder if I should tell him that he's become somebody completely different in my eyes? It's odd that one's perspective of a person can change so radically in such a short period of time, but I've learned to stop questioning these types of things. It's better to enjoy what is already there, anyway.

I suppose the real question I should have been asking before is not 'will it ever be over', but 'do I want it to ever be over?' Because despite what logic has to say to me, I'll have to say no. 

No, I don't want this to be over.

… I'm happy.

~ * ~

I have never heard of The Angel Wings restaurant, nor do I know why it's called that, but judging from how familiar the people seem to be with Kaiba-kun, he obviously has. Something that kinda makes me nervous… I know that unlike myself and Yuugi-tachi, Kaiba-kun has often gone out on dates during high school and college. Maybe this is his dumping ground? Oh, yeah, that's _really_ what I need to think about now. Maybe the real of this restaurant is "One-Night Stand' or "Dumping Ground".

I think I'm becoming cynical again.

"This is Mokuba's favorite restaurant," Kaiba-kun suddenly brings up… perhaps he is related to Yami Bakura in a way, seeing that the two are apparently taking mind-reading classes, "The two of us come eat here every time he comes to visit. Apparently they have this dish that he cannot live without for over a month."

"Doesn't he come more often than that?"

There's a pause as he seems to process those words, as if in a mellow disbelief that they were actually uttered… at least, it seems like that to me, "He used to."

Used to?

"It's been hectic lately… especially with this contract going on with Yoshizawa-san." The words come out slowly and they're apparently very hard for him to get out. Although you can tell that it pains him to say these words… everybody knows how much Kaiba-kun loves his younger brother. It's sometimes amazing to us that they could ever allow themselves to be separated. Kaiba-kun would do anything for Mokuba, but when they're separated like this, it's probably very hard for him to do so.

I hate to say this but I was never this close with oniisan… not like Kaiba-kun is with Mokuba, but then again, it's hard for anybody to have a relationship like that. It's touching, really, to know that people can feel so deeply for somebody else. Even though we all feel that way, it's kinda as if those two are on a whole different level.

_Are you done being mushy? Your boyfriend's been holding out a chair for you for the past two minutes while you're off in la-la land._

I immediately blush as I glance up at Kaiba-kun's face, but he just has a rather amused smile on his face as he gestures for me to sit. I swear, he and Yami Bakura are in some type of collusion to humiliate me to death. Is this some type of punishment for a crime that I unknowingly committed?

But that smile on Kaiba-kun's face is now degrading, nor annoyed, but encouraging. Is he trying to send me a message this way? Sorry, but my psychic recipients are not really working right now… he'll have to tell me out straight if he wants it to be understood.

I suspect that simply by bringing me here, he's showing me something that he rarely shows other people. And from that smile on his face, I also know that the sarcasm that keeps running through my head at rapid speeds is simply… well, sarcasm. And… yes, maybe it used to be less sarcasm and more actual truth… but now there's a little hint of knowing that I simply don't know how to react to all of this. It's simply too much to handle in an intelligent fashion, but I don't think it's too wise to explain these feelings. I know it's too much to think that nobody feels this way, but it's also pretty difficult to imagine that everybody can feel the way that I do. Especially one like Kaiba-kun, who seems unable to have his feathers ruffled.

"You miss him?" Oh, well, slap me with a stamp saying 'Obvious'… could I get anymore dense? If now is the time to show that this is the dumping ground (bad pessimism… bad…), I shouldn't be surprised.

"It's not as bad as it was before," Kaiba-kun replies, taking one of my hands. I blink at him… his blue eyes are surprisingly soft, something that is odd considering how they usually seem to pierce through the soul.

Before, it was so hard to see him as… human. He was more of a statue, a dispassionate being who had no need for petty things such as human emotions. As if he was a superior species because he could do what had to be done without suffering from the guilt that was to follow.

But no one can really be that way, not even Kaiba-kun. Although I think that he tries very hard to be that way. It's impossible, though, not to feel. Even if it seems like they don't…

Everyone feels the same emotions, even if they can stand there with a stoic look and seemingly ignore the carnage around them. Even if they seem insane, like Yami Bakura. We sometimes laugh at people who seem to be too emotional, but is there really a such thing as that? Can there be an extreme, can boundaries be set between what is too emotional and not emotional at all?

It's not really a matter of being emotional or not. It really depends on how good one is at hiding that they are harboring such feelings.

"Oh." My words are as meek as a kitten's… I've always wanted a kitten, but oniisan is allergic and after I started moving around, apartments always seemed to be against having pets, "Why is that?"

There's this silence… one of those horribly awkward silences where you sit there and fidget, with nothing but your thoughts (or in my case, I guess I also have a psychopath in my mind) and humiliation as companions. It's not really a good feeling because the most persistent thought seems to be 'Did I say something wrong?', and it always seems to come out as a perpetual whine that cannot be shut up.

"I… don't really know," there's a hint of confusion in his voice that reminds me rather disconcertingly of Yami Bakura last night, "I just haven't been feeling as lonely lately."

I've never seen you act this way either.

Another one of those awkward silences settles on us like a threatening thundercloud in the middle of an otherwise perfectly clear sky. Our relationship seems to be like that… a never-ending roller-coaster ride with more up's and down's then the ones at theme parks. I'm getting a stomachache just thinking about it…

"Are you ready to order yet?"

I've never been this grateful to a waiter, but in this case, I have to restrain myself from running over to him and just throwing my arms around him. It's as if the thundercloud is lifted by a friendly bird and now everything is running smoothly again.

Except for that awkward little gape in the sky where the cloud used to be. Even though it's erased, does that really mean it's gone forever?

~ * ~

"When I was little, I wanted to be a teacher."

I nearly choke on the chicken I had just swallowed as I stare at Kaiba-kun an utter shock. Him? A teacher? Did the world stop spinning?!

He continues, ignoring my sputtered attempts to get out a semblance of a reply, "I liked teaching people things… well, I liked teaching Mokuba things at least. But he had friends so I taught them too. It was fun. Up until we got adopted, I always thought that I would grow up to be teaching kindergarten or first grade. Little kids… they're sweet as long as they don't get on your nerves. Now it just seems weird."

"It is a bit hard to imagine…" Now that's an understatement.

But not wanting to leave Kaiba-kun alone in his admissions of interesting childhood stories, I grin nervously, "I wanted to be a clown."

"That's… wait… what?!" Now it's his turn to stare, but there's a bit of a grin tugging at his lips as well. It's not much but it allows me to keep going.

"Otousan and okaasan took oniisan and I to the circus when I was 6. My favorite thing was the seals and the clowns… the seals because they were cute and the clowns because they were funny. I wanted to do that when I was little… I wanted to dress up all funny and make people laugh. I wanted to make people laugh even if they were feeling rotten because there's a bit too much unhappiness around. I thought it would have been the perfect job… to make people smile and laugh."

In a way, isn't that what everybody wants to do? Writers try to portray a scene that before could only be seen in the mind. Toy-makers try to make something that would make a child smile. Actors try to make an audience feel an emotion that was thought to be extinct.

And clowns are there to make people laugh.

"A clown… I never would have thought that," Kaiba-kun shakes his head as he sets his chopsticks down on his plate, "That's really something, Ryou."

"Well, I never would have thought of you as a kindergarten teacher," I reply smartly, "So we might as well call it even when it comes to shocking each other.

"Besides, you would have been a pretty good teacher… I could think of worse things to do than help other people grow."

"You wouldn't have made that bad of a clown, you know," Kaiba-kun smiles lightly, "You make me laugh at the most unexpected moments."

I can't help but blush at that, but he erases that from my mind when he leans over and plants a light kiss on my forehead. And I don't blush at that because it's nothing that I haven't experienced by now… and it's certainly nothing that makes me feel uncomfortable.

I wonder how long it's going to take for me to acknowledge that these feelings are real, and not just figments of my imagination…

Oh Kami-sama…

I just gape as Seto picks up his chopsticks from his empty plate and reaches over to sneak my last piece of tempura. But what's really shocking is when he bops me on the nose with it… excuse me while I go have a _mental breakdown_!!!

"You would have been a pretty good teacher too," he says before eating the stolen morsel, "But you better not say that I would make a good clown because then I'll just have to hurt you."

He would. Make a good clown, I mean.

I wonder how many seconds it would take for people to lock me away if I said this out loud? I wonder if Kaiba-kun would say anything to back me up if I did? And even if he did, would I be the only one who found it funny?

What is it about him that makes me love him this way? Is it true that each person has one perfect soulmate, and in which case, how do they know when they've found that perfect other anyway? Is it possible that I could be so lucky as to experience something that it seems very few people do?

Why are there so many questions that surround life? Perhaps it is because there is so much to it, and it's impossible to understand the many things that we wish to…

Maybe I'm just getting very tired. Everything has been rather hectic lately.

I watch through my white strands of hair as Kaiba-kun calls over the server and starts to pay the check. This scene is so oddly… normal that it seems to be impossible. Could it be that all this time, I've been watching Kaiba-kun as somebody who wasn't so human? But now, bringing him down to a more comprehendible level, I allow myself to be given over to him in a cascading stream of emotions that will never be understood.

"Are you ready, Ryou?"

I nod hesitantly, but a niggling question hangs around in my mind. Ready? Ready for what? For this, an actual relationship, or for life? Can we ever be ready for anything at all, or does life keep handing us odd little surprises when we least expect it, when we are most prepared for something else to happen.

Kaiba-kun takes me by the hand as he leads us to the car. Nobody is watching, no lecherous fangirls or eager for blood news reporters. It's as if we were normal people on a normal date.

Date? Is this a date? That's what Kaiba-kun calls it, and that's what I want to call it. It's what I would give my soul to call it.

As we get into the parking lot, Kaiba-kun shifts his arm so instead of just holding my hand, his other hand is wrapped around my shoulder. Something I can't help but be grateful for, seeing that it is very cold…

How did he know I was going to feel this way? How is he able to just watch me and know what I am thinking, know what I want? I hope he doesn't know about the thoughts running through my mind right now…

I want to tell him that I love him. And I'm starting to feel very sympathetic to Otogi-kun, who I can now understand for his problems with telling Honda-kun his feelings. 

It's hard to say those words because by saying them, you don't know what's going to happen. Many people have marveled about how powerful these words are, but I personally find them daunting because of that.

How can three words have the power to completely change one's life?

~ * ~

Kaiba-kun spent most of the drive back singing along to the theme songs of Cardcaptor Sakura. Now it may just be me, but I find that highly disturbing. But then again, I was the one having dreams about large, aquatic mammals with no musical talent whatsoever singing those before-mentioned songs, so I stilled my tongue.

It wasn't that hard anyway. Kaiba-kun has a very nice voice.

Anyhow, I was so entranced by it that it took me a while to realize that we were driving right past Tokyo University. Very observant of me, of course.

Kaiba-kun must have noticed that I started when we drove right by because he takes his eyes off the road for a brief second, "We're going to stop at my place for a while… is that okay?"

Well, it's a bit late to say 'no', isn't it? And besides, I don't really want to say that anyway.

"It's fine," I somehow manage to get out… although I'm not quite sure how.

Silence. Why are there so many of these?

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Ryou," Kaiba-kun suddenly breaks into my thoughts, seemingly making time stand still as he fumbles for the words. He's better at getting his emotions than I am, seeing that when I try to put my thoughts into words, it always manages to slip out of my fingers like a slippery eel.

It's amazing that Kaiba-kun would call me 'Ryou' even when we are alone, and that I can call him 'Seto'. But what surprises me the most is the amazing amount of self-control I instill on myself to keep from thinking his first name and staying coldly detached with his last name.

Or maybe it's just because I know that if I start calling him 'Seto' in my thoughts, I'll start to get attached. That I'll start to harbor disillusioned fantasies that all sound like 'maybe this will work…'. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. I'll be better off this way. After all, if I start to get attached, it's a lot harder to deal with the rejection that will invariably follow.

_Why do you think that? The boy obviously has something for you._

_Yami… Yami Bakura?_

Why do you seem so surprised by my presence these days? Well, I'm more surprised about why you have been speaking out so often, but that's a different story, _Besides, if this works out, you'll be well-provided for. And since this is my body, I'll have an easier time as well._

Yeah. You wouldn't have to worry about maxing out credit cards anymore. Of course, I don't say anything. Despite the fact that I have died twice before, I have a healthy interest in not having it happen prematurely for a third time. Death is fine and dandy, I suppose, but if it has to happen permanently, I would like it to happen from old age rather than… well, something else.

"I did too, Kai… Seto," I correct myself before I can say that. Because to be truthful, I don't really want to stay coldly detached. I want this.

How many times must I affirm this? How many times must I tell myself this only to have common sense ignore it? If human beings are truly emotional beings rather than logical, why am I unable to express my feelings… perhaps I am deficient or something. That would explain a lot.

Then I realize that there is something that I haven't said to him that I've been meaning to say all evening… but it had slipped my mind until now.

"Thank you for correcting my term paper [3]. It really saved me a lot of time," I finally say.

"It didn't need that much correcting anyway," is the simple reply, "Besides, I learned a great deal from reading about it. Why did you decide to go into the environment, Ryou?"

"I wanted to help it… I think it needs more help than we thought before."

I blink as Kaiba-kun chuckles, causing me to wonder if I said something wrong. Something that seems to happen quite often, if I do say so myself.

"Not quite done being a clown, are you?"

I resist the urge to be childish and stick a tongue out at him, but it's still a close call.

"You're not quite done being a teacher either," I sound like I'm sulking, which reminds me…

I remember an argument between Yuugi-kun and Yami-kun about Yami-kun's romantic preferences. Apparently, Yuugi-kun wasn't too impressed to find out that his guardian was in love with a stuffed seal and a card. But then Yami-kun spent the rest of the week in a perpetual sulk until Yuugi-kun finally apologized. Needless to say, it was very weird and just about everybody thought that the two of them were going insane.

"What do you mean by that?" Kaiba-kun sounds amused, and it makes me feel like I'm about to walk into a death trap. God knows how many times I've done that!

"I'm going to let you figure that out on your own." An uncharacteristic reply, granted, but I figure that it's the best answer I can give without being rude or risking disembowelment.

I like having my organs inside my body, thank you very much.

~ * ~

In a way, I feel as if I've become drunk and am floating away. Although perhaps that is not so wrong a statement… but who has ever heard of somebody getting drunk on raspberry tea?

When we got to Seto's apartment, he led me through the familiar hallway to the familiar elevator to the familiar floor to the familiar door and finally to the familiar room. I notice that the tea that Emi-san accidentally dropped on the floor is now gone. It's kind of odd when I think about it… now Yami-kun is the one who has to fold the laundry while Seto is the one who can order a servant to lick tea off the ground if he wanted to. Can we say 'role reversal' here?

"Mokuba wanted a puppy a while back," Seto scowls at the tea cup as I resist the urge to burst into rather humiliating giggles, "He was going to name it Jyounouchi. Then he wanted a black cat. He was going to name that Yami. THEN he wanted a koala. He was going to name that Yuugi."

"Did he get any of those?"

"I let him adopt a seal," Seto smirks, "It was the easiest thing. It gave him a pet, and I didn't need to do anything except drive him down to the aquarium so he could see his seal. And that was that."

"Did he get to name the seal?" Maybe I should think about adopting a seal for Yami-kun when his birthday comes around. When is his birthday anyway?

"Yeah…" Seto grimaces as he looks down at his tea cup, "Do you want some more tea?"

"No thank you," I'm afraid I'm getting a bit drunk on it… I blink as I look at the clock, and my eyes grow wide when I see the time. Jyounouchi-kun is going to KILL me. He specifically said I had to be home by 10:30 and now it's… ooh, I'm in trouble.

"What's wrong?" Seto looks over at me and then at the clock, staring at it for a while.

"I… um… I…"

"Do you want to just stay over?"

Now that is highly unexpected, but… Is he saying this just to be polite, or does he really mean it? Why do I keep doubting his intentions… it's not really fair to him, I suppose. I'm not prepared for this.

"Demo… Jyounouchi-kun."

"You can call him."

"Demo…"

Before I can complete the sentence, he reaches over and starts to kiss me gently, bringing up some rather pleasant memories of the auction house scene. With the exception of Jyounouchi-kun's hickey reaction, of course… but the same emotions are starting to dance around like cupids waiting for their turn to wreak a little havoc on our lives. And before I know what I'm doing, I've wrapped my arms around his waist and am hugging him close to me.

"I'll call him tomorrow."

"… no problem with that," Seto replies softly as he casually swings me into his arms, carrying me bride-style and causing me to squeak in unbridled surprise. Since I can no longer hug him around the waist, my traitorous arms wrap around his neck as he easily carries me over to a room while still taking the time to kiss me on the nose.

Perhaps… perhaps we can't always prepare for everything. Perhaps we should just learn to enjoy what we can get.

Setting me down softly on my feet, I squint in the darkness as I look up into his eyes. They're a captivating blue that seem to have a spell attached to them because my common sense seems to be floating away and all I want to do is hold him. Or at least let him hold me, whichever one is more convenient.

"Ai… shiteru…" he whispers into my ear, punctuating each syllable with a gentle kiss that makes me want to giggle like a little school girl, his hands wrapped securely around my chest as he continues to kiss my neck, "Ai shiteru…"

Is he just… saying… that… oh Kami-sama… 

"Seto…"

"Shh," he mumbles into my skin as he covers my lips with a long finger, "Less talk… Ryou."

I'm more than happy to comply as he pulls me into the bed, allowing me to rest on top of him as his lips somehow find mine again in a searing embrace, as sweet and gentle as a fairy's kiss.

Translations and Notes:

[1] Reference to Lilo and Stitch, and I don't have anything against that movie. I loved it, actually. :P

[2] Embarrassing, I know, but PAS and I cried during that part… it really was sad, stop giving me that look!

[3] Speaking of which, I have an art history term paper due and I'm so screwed that it's not funny.

PM *scowls at everybody*: Short chapter, I know… but I hope you're happy… *notices quite a few people holding up signs saying 'Lemon! Lemon!' before blanching* Aiyah! This is a PG fic, if you guys haven't forgotten! Besides, I couldn't write one to save my life. I'll probably end up traumatizing you all for life.

Koushiro: I only have one question. And if you answer it, I promise I won't comment on the fact that you already have traumatized these people for life.

PM: *groans* What's that?

Koushiro: Is this another one of your 'calm before the storm' chapters? You seem to have an unhealthy obsession with them.

PM *shoves him into a closet*

Pikachumaniac


	14. Shampoo and Gifts

Disclaimer: Shouldn't we all be glad that I don't own Yu-gi-oh? And should I start recycling disclaimers? If I'm not already doing that…

Fairydust

Ryou: O_O What are you doing, PM?

PM *hiding behind Yue, who is stuck in a huge pile of stuffed seals (well, my stuffed seals are white and Yue has pale skin, white hair, white wings, and white robes… _perfect hiding place_!)* Hiding from various people… like Neko-chan and her scary frying pan! *bawls* Cause I'm going to have to start apologizing again… this is a _short_ chapter, people! SORRY! But I just didn't have time… *cringe as she snuggles closer behind Yue… mmm* Please don't hit me…

Jyou: I personally have no problem with that…

PM *grabs Yami's mallet and chases after him screaming bloody murder*

Yami: Uh… well, since PM isn't here, this chapter takes place on Sunday morning/afternoon. *blinks at last chapter* My, everybody seems to be getting it on, huh? *grimaces and takes Yuki from the pile of stuffed seals… which Yue left long ago in order to find something more substantial to do… like get it on with Clow or Touya… (innocent smirk)*

PM *back from smacking Jyou*: Isn't that a good thing? ::^_^:: And no side lemon/lime stories… sorry, but right now, I'm not really in the mood. Maybe in a couple months… *ducks rotten veggies* Also, I just wanted to say this… the last chapter was NOT a calm-before-the-storm chapter! MWAHAHAHAHA! In fact, I'm not going to tell you which one it is in order to torment you endlessly! *insert more cackling…*

Ryou *knocks PM out* Much better.

ANYWHO, unfortunately Mariel wasn't able to get back to me for her beta-ing (new word! MWAHA!), so I apologize for any mistakes. But thanks to Shoshana VH Vared (:p does root beer make you hyper?), Wildwolf (I already told you!), ChaosEnd, Angel-Belle (Ironyyyyyy…), dilanda (*raises eyebrow* I hope you enjoy this chappy… it might not be enough though), Crystalline Maxwell (no lemon! Or I'll end up traumatizing you for life!), fani90 (-_-;;; I thought I did fine on my SATs, but my mom wants me to take them AGAIN!), Sarina Fannel (Seto *dressed like my envi sci teacher… complete with environmentally friendly tie* PM, I really do NOT appreciate this), *i n c o h e r e n t* (If you think the ideas were weird, imagine how I must have felt when I started writing it!), Indigo Tantarian (Yeah! I can break them up again! *ducks rotten veggies*), Shenya (Ryuuji: You're making PM's head swell…), tuulikki (^_^ But I enjoy your reviews!), Shamanic Guardian Lena (my friend loved that statement too… then she asked 'who wrote it?' and nearly keeled over when I told her that _I_ did), Linxy, Nalan Li (*ducks* I can't hit Jyou but you can hit me?! And that wasn't a cliffhanger… it was… a… fitting ending! EEP! *ducks another whack*), rayemars (Holden Caulfield is the main character of Catcher in the Rye… ever read that? We had to read it for English… I didn't like it. Kid was SUCH a hypocrite), Bronze Eagle (Hmm… maybe I should pester you for translations then :P), Beholder of the Shadows (Who says Jyounouchi is going to find out? *Jyounouchi whacks PM with a book* Ouch…), Son Mist, KawaiiShinigami, Blind Falcon (I'm bad at leaving reviews too… :p But thanks for your review!) Aishiteru Tenshi (I actually wrote that ending for the chapter about two months back…), loanshark (homework! The bane of my existence!), DragonLUPINzero (You sound conspiciously like Neko-chan… *eyebrow twtich* You are all out to get me, aren't you?! AHHH! *runs out of the room screaming* Ryou: -_-;; No more popcorn for breakfast for her…), crystaldraygon98 (Yuki *glare*, Black Magician *GLARE*, Yami *squeals loudly and grabs the two of them, causing them both to twitch and collapse*), Neko-chan (:p love Patricia C. Wrede… I want the last book in her Dragons series. *sulks before exploding in big puppy eyes* Can't wait to see the Honda*Otogi in your fic… ^_^ Thank you thank you THANK YOU!), Amiasha (yes… I am missing your e-mail… *pout*), Saki (Good luck on your ACTs), and… blank? (They got to level 3 betwinxt this and the last chapter :p). And if I missed you… sorry! But FF.net has been a bit annoying and it didn't show me your review!

~ Shampoo and Gifts ~

Rank the following choices in the order of most likely to least when confronted with a hysterical warden who has just discovered (somehow!!) that you have had sex with the person you aren't even supposed to be in love with.

A. Tell the truth and pray that he will be gentle with you. Since that is unlikely, pray that he will not tell your otousan. Since that is also unlikely, pray that your death will be swift and relatively painless.

B. Feign astonishment/innocence at such a possibility. Be prepared to burst into hysterical tears and confess after several hours of painful questioning by a person who's calling should be a prosecutor.

C. Ignore the question until he pries the book out of your bloodless fingers and threatens to disembowel you, no longer needing you alive because he already knows the answer.

D. Run. Very quickly. And be prepared to die because you _know_ he will catch you… there is simply no doubt about that.

E. All of the above.

I suppress the urge to run out of the room bawling as Jyounouchi-kun comes right up to my face and glares at me before asking me what must be the most horrible question in the entire universe.

"You're not a virgin anymore, are you?"

"Jyounouchi-kun!" My voice comes out at a horribly high-pitched squeak. I'm bright red and feel like crawling under the bed for the purpose of shriveling up into a raisin.

There's this loud pause before my entire world explodes in din, "YOU DID! OH MY GOD, YOU TWO DID IT! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! HOW ON EARTH DID YOU… YOU… I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! YOU AND THAT… _THING_!! I THOUGHT THE DATE THING WAS BAD ENOUGH, BUT THIS?! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?!"

And so on and so forth.

I eventually started to get used to his hysterical screaming (just tell the whole world, will you Jyounouchi-kun?), which, of course, causes me to blank out as I remember every detail of last night and this morning, when I woke up to Seto's gentle breath on my face, which caused my hair to sway slightly. But I can still see his eyes, which have the same sparkle as they had last night when he pulled me into bed.

He smiled as I cuddled closer to him, enjoying the feeling of his arms around me. It felt rather disconcertingly like hugging a giant teddy bear, something that I had no problems with doing, while I reveled in the warmth from his body heat and the blankets that covered our conspicuously bare bodies.

We essentially stayed like that for a while before the door opened… and when the two of us twisted around to see who it was, a movement that caused the blanket to move a bit farther down our bodies, all we heard was a loud 'clunk!' and before we knew it, Seto's driver was sprawled on the ground, unconscious from brain overload, I would guess. [1]

Speaking of which, if Jyounouchi-kun doesn't stop his screaming, he'll be suffering from shock or deprivation of oxygen to his brain. But considering how he's starting to scream unintelligible gibberish, I'm starting to wonder if he has a brain to consider.

"Jyounouchi! What on earth are you screaming about?!" Anzu yells into the room, causing me to face fault. How could she not know? Jyounouchi-kun only _screamed_ it loud enough for the entire country of Japan to know, including my father in Domino.

Oh crap.

Jyounouchi-kun whirls on Anzu, his face remarkably red as he points an accusing finger at me (who, in the mean time, is desperately trying to find a good hiding place and is wondering how long it would take to dig a hole to the other side of the earth), "He… he… and that… _thing_… they! ARGH!" Before we can blink, he's starting to scream again.

That is, until Yami-kun calmly walks in, gets out a roll of duct tape (I wonder where he could have hidden that… his clothes is skin-tight and it seemed to come out of nowhere!), and almost _casually_ walks over to Jyounouchi-kun, pulls out a long strip (of course, it can't be heard over Jyounouchi-kun's hysterical screaming), and when Jyounouchi-kun pauses for a breath, simply places it on his mouth in a well-practiced manner that makes me wonder if Yami-kun is more sadistic than he lets on.

Probably.

"… arigatou?" I fair whimper. Jyounouchi-kun is still trying to scream something despite the duct tape, but Yami-kun just glares him down, pointing at a street lamp outside. This, of course, causes him to shut up _very_ quickly, as the memories and scars from that fateful night have yet to disappear.

Before I can profusely thank Yami-kun again, a calm voice that makes me want to groan asks lazily, "You got it on with Kaiba Seto?"

We all turn around to find Otogi-kun and Honda-kun there, arms around each other and both their expressions rather amused. Frankly, I don't think either of them has the right to say anything, considering how long it took the two of them to progress past nervous stuttering whenever the opportunity came up. But I'm not going to say that. Instead, I try to send them psychic messages to _shut up_, which for the oddest reason, they don't seem to receive.

"Apparently so," Yami-kun replies calmly, not even blinking at his own words. While as I want to run into a corner and screech. I hear derisive laughter in the back of my mind…

_And to think that I thought all your friends were unobservant!_ Insert some more taunting snickering._ Except when it comes to these types of things, of course!_

I'm guessing there's some type of implications behind his words, but I would rather not know what they are…

Honda-kun, Otogi-kun, and Anzu are starting to ask questions. It's like listening to a thunderstorm, and it reminds me a lot of when Jyounouchi-kun, Yuugi-kun, and Honda-kun found out about the deal with Seto. Although I guess… I guess it's not really a deal anymore, is it? I mean, it might be? Or it used to be?

The most common question seems to be why. Why this, why that, why anything. Why is that always the question? Why, why, why, why? Is it a question that can even be answered because you can answer it only to be countered with another 'why' until you keep running around in circles, trying to answer a question with no answer whatsoever.

Why did I choose to do this?

It wasn't lust. At least I hope it wasn't. I wanted it because I've developed this… feeling for him over the past couple days. I'm reluctant to say relationship because I still can't help but wonder what happens if he doesn't feel the same way? Sure, I know that he's said the words… and I really do think he means it… but that niggling little 'what if' still won't take a permanent leave of absence. I suppose that it's for the better, but I really could do without its nagging.

If you had ever asked me on Monday if I could ever possibly have imagined things turning out this way, I probably would have asked you to sit down and quickly leave to look up a conveniently placed mental institute. At this rate, I really should be getting myself committed. Actually, I'm beginning to think that every single person involved in this mess should be committed, but we'll probably overrun the hospital in a matter of days.

Everything is changing. It's amazing to see how a single event can change your life. Even if nothing comes out of this… and I seriously hope that is not the case… there's still so much that has been altered. I suppose that I'll always be a timid little mouse, but I think I'm starting to find the little fountain of confidence that I never looked deep enough to find.

People say that love makes the world go round, and I'm starting to believe it. If only because I get to experience it myself now. And I got to see first-hand how much one's emotions can cause you to do things that you've never dreamed of.

Like last night.

It's crazy, unexplainable, and in general, completely idiotic and insane, but that's life and I think I'm just going to enjoy what life has to offer me. Because we only have one chance (unless you believe in reincarnation but then you might come back as an ant, which isn't going to be too much fun if you ask me… or if you're like Yami-kun or Yami Bakura and get stuck in a gold trinket for several thousand years) at life, so we might as well make the most of it before the opportunity is gone forever.

~ * ~

Class finally went well. No annoying professors, no nosy classmates, no throwing textbooks at rude comments, and definitely no getting kidnapped on the way home. I've becoming so comfortable that I'm starting to get worried… ah, well, I'm sure that something will be happening soon enough that will cause my world to shatter to pieces. That's what usually happens anyway… and it happens quite a bit in stories…

Beyond a couple concerned 'are you all rights?', I have to say that it was highly satisfactory. Sensei was very sympathetic, although she wouldn't have cut me any slack if I hadn't been able to turn in my paper… luckily, we didn't have that problem because with Seto's editations, everything went smoothly.

Anyhow, I'm lying on my stomach humming softly as I ignore Jyounouchi-kun's soft growling and curses. It's not that easy to ignore him, even if I have some interesting manga sitting in front of me, but I am going to manage it! I will! Okay, so I'm lying to myself, but I'm getting easily distracted today.

Is this what love is going to be like? If it goes on any farther, my grades are going to be dropping before I can blink.

Basically, this is the situation I was in when Jyounouchi-kun suddenly awakens with a banshee scream and rushes out of the door before I can even blink.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE KAIBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! [2]"

It takes me approximately three seconds to jump off the bed (and it's pretty high off the ground…) and run after him, hoping that he doesn't kill Seto or vice versa.

I can't help but sweatdrop when I get out there. Jyounouchi-kun has Otogi-kun pinned to the opposite wall, and Otogi-kun has a smirk/what-drugs-has-this-guy-been-taking? expression. Jyounouchi-kun is so caught up in his screaming fit that he has yet to notice that he isn't pinning Seto, but a starting-to-get-very-pissed Otogi-kun.

Otogi-kun is only about a centimeter [3] taller than Jyounouchi-kun, but he could have been twenty meters taller as he starts to really glare at him. And of course, Jyounouchi-kun _still_ hasn't noticed.

While Otogi-kun has the height and weight advantage over Jyounouchi-kun, Jyounouchi-kun is physically stronger from his past experiences. And if it comes down to it (and considering how Jyounouchi-kun still hasn't noticed that he's threatening to murder the wrong guy and Otogi-kun appears to be losing his temper quite quickly), I think that both of them are going to end up in the hospital with broken body parts.

Luckily (or unluckily, seeing who it is that breaks up the fight), it doesn't come down to that because next think we know, Honda-kun has dragged Jyounouchi-kun off Otogi-kun and is starting to bawl him out. Heh… now that they have finally gotten together, Honda-kun is starting to get very possessive. At least, that would explain why he's screaming at Jyounouchi-kun about bad hentai thoughts, even though we _all_ know that Jyounouchi-kun and Mai-san are a definite item.

Otogi-kun, probably still sore about what has just happened, shakes his head as he approaches me. Yuugi-kun and Anzu are desperately trying to stop the fist fight, but from experience, it is most likely that the only people who will be hurt are the two (attempting, at least) peacemakers.

"Kaiba stopped by," he hands a now decidedly limp bouquet of flowers to me (at least they're not carnations), as well as a paper bag with a lot of tissue in it. Pink tissue paper. I can't tell if that is an accident or if Seto has a twisted sense of humor… or maybe somebody just hates me a lot. That would account for a lot, "He wanted me to give this to you."

"Why couldn't he do it by himself?" I ask, deciding to ignore the little voice screaming 'you IDIOT!'… and surprise, surprise, it isn't Yami Bakura! But that's a different story.

"Something about the 'make inu'…"

"I'm going to _killlllllll_ him!!"

"Oh…" I squeak out. Of course, I cannot help but mentally applaud Seto for his decision… especially when we consider how Honda-kun and Yuugi-kun have finally managed to pin down Jyounouchi-kun, who is still ranting insanely.

And I thought I had problems…

I finally notice that Otogi-kun is watching me in anticipation, and I blush and stammer the first things that come into mind, "A… Arigatou Otogi-kun!"

Judging from his expression (somewhat disappointed) as I slam the door in his face, I don't quite think that was the reaction he wanted. Unfortunately, Otogi-kun has this little problem with being a bit nosy, although he's a lot more subtle about it then Jyounouchi-kun, who I'm going to pretend I don't know right now.

I'm not really a messy person, so I have to restrain my urge to just rip out the tissue paper and see what is in the bag. Love really does screw around with sanity, let me tell the world that right now. So instead of doing what I want to do, I do what I am supposed to do and carefully remove each layer, watching as they slip by at their own pace.

Certainly, I had no expectations for what it would be, but imagine my surprise when I finally remove all the layers to find the heart of the matter… and it's a bottle of shampoo.

I can't help but blink at it… it's not the 'it's the thought that counts' thing that's getting me… but… I think Seto knows more about me than I ever could have thought. The shampoo is a rather sparkly thing, although I have a feeling that the sparkles probably wash out with the water, and the bottle says that the gooey substance has a peach smell to it. And did I mention that it's called Fairydust?

Oh Kami-sama…

Maybe he found out that I dreamt about him being the nutcracker prince, and he wanted revenge. In which case, I should be grateful that he's not sending me a dress…

_Working similarly to Greek and Roman myths of Cupid, fairydust was said to come off the wings of magical butterflies who were often mistaken for fairies because of their brightly colored wings that sparkled with the colors of the rainbow. However, instead of causing the chaos intended by Cupid's arrows, fairydust was used to force somebody to confess their truest desires to the person that they loved…_

I blush as I remember what the tour guide at the museum said, as well as what my otousan said.

Wouldn't it be nice if these types of things really worked? Then we wouldn't have to worry so much about maybe's and possibly's.

Cradling the bottle of shampoo close to me, I continue to smile serenely at nothing at all.

Fairydust.

Is he trying to say something?

And if he is, why can't I figure it out? And why don't I care more? Why is it that I can sit here smiling at the wall, probably looking very stupid, and feeling very much like a lazy cat who is getting a sun bath? A feeling of familiar warmth that makes me want to purr. I'm terribly happy right now, I really am.

Maybe I'm just at that point where I'm going to pretend that everything will turn out fine, even though common sense says otherwise. Anyhow, it feels a lot better that way.

Besides, at times like this, when one is feeling drunk on fluffiness and bubbling happiness, who needs petty things such as logic?

~ * ~

"Rule number one… no drinking."

I sigh and nod, repeatedly reminding myself that if I do not listen to Jyounouchi-kun, he will do all in his power to keep me from going. And since he can do quite a bit (like call otousan), I will be best off listening to him, especially since about half his rules are most likely logical and the other half are completely ignorable (it's fun making up words!)… still, it's probably best if I don't tell him that.

"Number two… no drugs," Jyounouchi-kun glares at me, as if daring me to challenge him. In the background, Yuugi-tachi are doing their best to stifle their giggles… I'm three seconds away from asking Yami Bakura to unleash some well-deserved wrath on them.

I can't help but shoot them a pleading look, but they just shake their heads or put up their hands in 'surrender position'. I have a feeling that none of them want to deal with Jyounouchi-kun's insanity… the problem is that I don't want to either. Ouch. Maybe I can tune him out. Think happy thoughts… but then that just brings me back to some interesting events last night… and since I don't want to tempt the mind-reading abilities of Jyounouchi-kun, I better not.

"No excessive making out…"

I wonder how many rules I've tuned out by now? I think there goes another one, but the words just flew right by me. I should really tell Jyounouchi-kun that I have no intention on listening to him… yeah, and then let him stop me from going. Even though I would have welcomed that opportunity any time of the day before, I really want to see Seto… I wonder why he didn't come give me his gifts before? Maybe I'm becoming obsessive. Or something like that.

"And finally… no intimate activities that require taking off clothes_!_!" Jyounouchi-kun grabs me by the ear to scream those last words into my ear, causing me to wince from the intensity of his voice. I think he's just killed a couple hundred brain cells… and it's not like I had that many to spare in the first place!

"Now that's something I wouldn't mind seeing," Otogi-kun drawls, "Bakura-kun and Kaiba getting it on in the middle of a room of guests… that is certainly something you don't get to see every day."

Yuugi-kun and Honda-kun can't help but snicker at that, even as Jyounouchi-kun glares at Otogi-kun and Anzu gets a half disappointed, half 'please don't make me laugh here' expression on her face. She's also stopped breathing as she tries to control the emotions, and I'm surprised that she hasn't fallen down into convulsions yet.

After all, I'm still trying to figure out how I've managed to deal with this without indulging in my desire to run around screaming hysterically…

"I get it, Jyounouchi-kun…" I repeat robotically. Only the knowledge that he will get quite pissed if I don't do so is keeping me from tackling him… also the fact that I would probably get very beat up if I even tried, but who's counting?

"Are you _sure_?"

"Yessssssssss."

"I expect you to be responsible."

Excuse me while I go pound my head against a wall somewhere… HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

"I know…" I fidget nervously, looking at the clock which is slowly counting down the number of seconds I have to endure this for, "… can I go now?"

He glares at me for a moment, as if gauging my oh-so-unreasonable request. And he finally does his own sighing and nodding, and I rush out of the door as quickly as possible.

Maybe I should be sympathetic to Jyounouchi-kun, as he no longer has Shizuka-chan to look after. I don't think he's doing this on purpose, but it's just a part of his brotherly-protection instincts. Or something like that… I never really dealt with it because after otousan gave me the Sennen Ring, I wasn't home around enough to experience a brotherly relationship with oniisan. And after the divorce… well, that just hit the nail on the head, didn't it?

It's been a while since I've had somebody looking after me. Yami Bakura could hardly be constituted as guardian-ship material unless you want to count preventing bodily harm, and otousan was never home enough to fill that gap. The others have helped but not as much as Jyounouchi-kun and recently Seto.

In a way, I owe him this much to listen to him. He's just doing his best, after all.

As I go down the stairs and reach outside, a window suddenly slams open, jerking me out of my thoughts. I look up in wonder and see Jyounouchi-kun glaring at me from our dorm room window. Yuugi-tachi is behind him, all of them shaking their heads and I can just picture their helpless expressions.

"You _heard_ me Bakura! NO SEX!"

And with that, he slams the window shut.

My cheeks are bright red… I wonder how many people just heard that?! I somehow manage to make my way into the awaiting vehicle, doing my best to ignore the flush and the stares from people who were outside and watching…

Yes, I'm grateful to Jyounouchi-kun… but did he _really_ have to bring that up in such a manner?! Couldn't he think of somewhat less painful ways of stating it? Just possibly? Maybe?

I sigh and watch as the scenery flashes by. There's no one here except the driver, who while occasionally looking in the mirror to make sure I haven't melted and slipped through the door as liquid, ignores me otherwise.

I should be used to loneliness… I mean, it's hard to imagine being lonely when you've got the spirit of an ancient tomb robber living with you twenty-four/seven, but Yami Bakura doesn't really make his presence known except when it suits him. Or maybe I've just gotten so used to being with the others… and especially Seto now… it just seems that this empty void is enough to swallow the car whole.

Perhaps I should be grateful for this silence. Because I know that as soon as I get to the party, I'm going to be surrounded by simply too many people.

But… at least Seto will be there.

Soft sigh.

I wonder if he likes the smell of peach?

Translations and Notes:

[1] The naked scene is for the people who asked for a lemon/lime/naked scene side story, which, incidentally enough… I'M NOT GOING TO WRITE! :P And the chauffeur going into horrible convulsions/death from freaking out is for all the people who voted for him as their favorite OC. :)

[2] Essentially… DIEEEEEE KAIBAAAAA!

[3] That is, according to the character guide book. Although I still FAIL to see how Yuugi can be 5 feet tall. Unless it's counting his hair? That would explain a lot…

Err, no witty dialogue here (Ryuuji: You've been taking drugs again, haven't you?), just some basic info before I finish off the chapter. Again, my apologies for it's shortness… okay, so it's not _that_ short, but it's shorter than most of the previous chapters. But I haven't had as much time to write this week, and I got really sidetracked by my other in-progress fics whenever I did find the time. I also wanted to quickly remind you folks that this story is only updated once a week… ^^;; That's basically all I can manage these days because of a flood of homework… ick. Sorry, sorry… And I don't really like writing short chapters so that kinda gets rid of the cutting down thing… so… yeah. ^_^ Gomen?

Pikachumaniac


	15. Shocking Pink Flamingos

Disclaimer: *pokes a sharp stick at the lawyers and bares teeth* Back! BACK I SAY! *gets tackled*

Fairydust

PM: Anyhow… yes, I did consider the last chapter to be short… well, at least compared to previous chapters. *humphs and folds arms*

Jyou: Immature…

PM *punches him* I apologize now for the crappiness for this chapter. Yes, I am risking Neko-chan and a bunch of you swooping me down for saying this, but I have been unable to give this chapter as much attention as I could have. This week has truly been h-e-l-l week… (before we go further, I'll like to thank Ruri-chan for her wonderful help on my term paper). I can tell you what I was doing instead of writing on all days of the week… Sunday I needed to prepare for Italy, Monday I needed to work on my term paper and study for a math test and English test, Tuesday SOMEBODY broke into the house and STOLE about $23,000 worth of stuff AND I needed to work on my term paper, Wednesday I turned in my art history paper (took four hours…) and studied for Japanese/English tests, Thursday I studied for Japanese test… basically, this has NOT been a good week for writing… essentially, the entirety of this chapter was written on Friday and Saturday. -_-;; Also, a note… please, please, please, PLEASE, I beg you… do not tell me to update faster in your reviews. I can tell you quite frankly that I _can't_, even if I wanted to. And speaking of updating, PLEASE read the end author notes. They are VERY important in reference to the winter vacation. ^^;; Tis all…

Anyhow, thanks to Mariel for her usual beta-ing, and to all the reviewers of the last chapter ^_^;; I would do the usual long paragraph thingy, but… my hands are kinda freezing off right now so it's hard to type. ::BLUSH:: Sorry, sorry! And no Nalan Li, no, I didn't get a reply to my last mail… ;_; And to all of you who have asked me whether or not a shampoo called Fairydust exists… *giggle* I don't think so!! I mean, I can be wrong, but I really don't think so… ^^;; Anyhow, thanks to all the past reviewers. Sorry I couldn't reply to you each individually as I usually do, but my hands really are freezing off right now… and it's not even that cold around here. ::grumble::

~ Shocking Pink Flamingos ~

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I happened to stumble across one of Yuugi-kun and Yami-kun's mental arguments. Normally I wouldn't be able to see Yami-kun if he wasn't occupying Yuugi-kun's body, but apparently Yami-kun had taken the liberty of tapping into the extra power of the Sennen Rod and Sennen Tauk because he had created a somewhat see-through body in order to argue with Yuugi-kun.

I don't quite know what the conversation was about, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Yami-kun's love interests because the conversation more or less went something like this:

Yuugi-kun: I'm just having problems understanding your love choices! It's not that difficult a concept to understand, especially considered _what_ you're in love with!

Yami-kun: You're really one to talk!

Yuugi-kun: What do you mean?! I'm not the one in love with a _card_ and a stuffed seal!

Yami-kun: What about Mr. Feathers?

Yuugi-kun *turns pale*: That… that… that's different! And don't you dare tell anybody about Mr. Feathers!

Yami-kun *HUGE SMIRK*: Does Anzu know about Mr. Feathers? And if she does, I'm surprised that she hasn't put him through the shredder!

Mr. Feathers, as it turned out, is a shocking pink flamingo that is apparently Yuugi-kun's favorite stuffed animal.

Anyhow, the conversation kind of ended there because then the two of them noticed I was there. If anything, Yami-kun's smirk seemed to elongate to a sadistic level unpassable by all mankind, and Yuugi-kun looked ready to faint. From what I've heard, Yuugi-kun never dared to bring up the 'My Yami is in love with inanimate objects!' rant because all Yami-kun had to do was mentally whisper "Mr. Feathers" to Yuugi-kun before the poor guy would drop the subject.

The reason why I'm thinking about this is because I feel like a shocking pink flamingo with a black bow tie right now. And let me be the first to say that it is a most uncomfortable feeling.

Seto's driver (it was a different one, by the way… I have a feeling that the former one is currently in a nicely padded room considering how much emotional stress he has been through the past couple days) dropped me off at the building where the dinner party was taking place, but Seto was and _still_ is no where in sight. Something that does not bode very well with me, especially since I don't know any of the well-dressed people walking in.

It's odd, actually, that I should feel so much like an outsider again. I'm not dressed like a war refugee anymore, at least, but I still feel like I could be wearing clothes similar to that of Tarzan and still be as noticeable as I am now. Could it be that I have yet to really gain that self confidence for myself, but that I still rely on Seto before I can find it within me? Or am I just a nervous little bunny, something that I will be for what seems like the rest of my life?

"Bakura-kun?"

I whip around to see none other than Emi-san, who is watching me expectantly. Her light brown bangs have been carefully curled, falling to the sides of her face, and her hair has been released from the barrette that she used before to keep her hair pinned up. She's clad (clad? Clad? Where did that word come from?!) in an elegant dark blue dress, as well as a black jacket threaded through with silver. Somehow, she manages to make me feel like a clumsy giant, even though I'm only a few centimeters taller than her.

"What…" her brown eyes blink in confusion, as if she had not been expecting to see me here. I can only stand there and fidget nervously, waiting for her to get the dreaded words out as she continues to stammer, "I thought… I mean… he came and then you didn't and…"

Suddenly, a light seems to come into her eyes and she suddenly stops her stuttering, making it my turn to stare at her in abrupt confusion.

Before I can open my mouth to politely question her, she reaches over to gently grab me by the arm, nudging me towards the entrance.

"Come on, Bakura-kun… Seto-kun is waiting for you… he _is_ expecting you, right?" Emi-san pauses to look at me. She doesn't look as much like a grown woman trying to step up to the challenge the world is setting before her, but more like a curious child who has apparently stepped into a secret conversation she wasn't supposed to have done. Kinda like me when I accidentally walked into Yuugi-kun and Yami-kun.

"Ha… hai…" I reply, an answer which causes her to nod absently.

"That's weird…" she hasn't budged, standing there with that perplexed look on her face, "I thought I told him that he could take you with him to help out with the decorating…"

I freeze as I gape at her. But she's stopped her inward thinking and is pulling me inside again, leaving me no time to ask her what she meant… if she said what I really thought she said.

Meanwhile, my thoughts are running around my head, creating little questions that seem to dance and spin at dizzying speeds through my mind. Did she really mean that? I don't think Emi-san is sneaky, par say, but I do know all too well that people can be manipulative when they need to.

Still, that confusion in her eyes. It seemed much to real to be just acting. I shake my head as I follow her, greeted by a blast of warmth as soon as we enter the marble white building. It's beautifully decorated, with enough flowers to send anybody with allergies running out of the door screaming. I note with interest that there is not a single carnation to be seen. Not one… I wonder if that is Seto's doing?

Demo… if what Emi-san says is true, then why didn't Seto say anything?

"Emi-chan… what… Ryou!" I tear my eyes off the fascinating tiles pattern on the ground as Emi-san drops my sleeve, and I feel a blush rapidly spreading across my face as I _stare_ at Seto. Oh my… he looks…

_Nice_?

The word goes through my mind like a mightily surprised squeak. I can only stare at him in amazement… it's still him, but he looks… different. Not better or worse, par say, but just… different…

"I'm… going to gocheckonthedecorationsI'llseeyoulater!" Emi-san's words blend together into one long word as she quickly escapes. Somewhere along this point I've noticed that Seto is also staring at me, and if there wasn't a limit on how red a person could be, I'd be gaining a new job as a stop signal…

"Ja… Ja ne…" Seto manages to say to Emi-san's retreating form, but his eyes are still glued on my face. While as I am fighting to keep my eyes on him, rather than on the ground. But the tiles are so pretty! They are! They're a beautiful shade of white and very clean!

Then his arm slips around my waist, pulling me closer, and he plants a light kiss on my forehead, quickly bring back memories of last night, "You look nice."

The words remind me rather disconcertingly of that disturbing Nutcracker dream, but at least I'm not wearing a dress this time! I seriously hope that nobody ever finds out about that one…

"A… arigatou…" I mutter, entranced by his blue eyes. They're a turquoise-like shade… trying to tear my eyes away is like wading through mud. More or less impossible without an iron set of nerves, and it doesn't help that I don't mind losing myself in those eyes…

"Should we go in then?" he smiles, relaxing from his before-nervous (somewhat) state and causing that bubbly little spring of confidence to well up within me, along with other warm and fuzzy feelings that feel so uplifting that I think I'm going to need a chain to keep me from floating into the clouds…

I nod, the look in his eyes making me able to face the world and all its pitfalls as long as he is standing there next to me… maybe if this lasts, I'll one day be able to get that confidence for myself. But for now on, I'll have to settle for this… although in no way do I mean to imply that this is a bad thing.

His hand slips from my waist and takes one of my hands. He suddenly grins at me, his free hand playing with a lock of my white hair.

"You're using my shampoo."

"Hai."

"You smell nice…" he continues to grin before gently leading me down the hallway as princes did with their princesses back in the olden days.

Except… I'm not a princess, nor am I a prince. And although Seto probably has enough money and manner to be a prince, he isn't either.

We're just two teens who have managed to find something magical about the world around us through each other…

And I can only hope that I am not deluding myself. But then again, how can something that feels so good be a mere illusion or insanity on my behalf?

~ * ~

"Bakura-kun! It's so good to see that you are all right!" Before I can blink, Yoshizawa-san has taken my hand and is pumping it up and down with such enthusiasm and strength that I think it's going to fall off as I sweatdrop nervously. Honestly, this guy could be that friendly uncle who only stops by once every five years and showers the family with gifts and interesting stories… I can't help but wonder why Seto would think that he would break the deal with KaibaCorp if his daughter had been snubbed. "You must have been very resourceful… you and Otogi-kun!"

"You've met Otogi-kun before?" the first words that pop into my head come falling out of my lips before some vague semblance of self-control can stop them from doing just… just that.

Yoshizawa-san laughs as Seto just sighs, whether that is because of me, Yoshizawa-san, or some other thing that I don't know about, "Aa! I've met Otogi-kun! My company produces his game! [1]"

Now I'm fully gaping at him, jaw slacked and I probably look like a cow who is chewing cud or something… except without a contemplative expression. Moo…

He chuckles as he kindly pushes my jaw back up, "His father and him came to our company a while back. When his father was detained due to… ah, how should I put it, unusual circumstances…" Course, we all know what those circumstances are… something along the lines of negligence and causing the building to burn down, kidnapping Yuugi-kun, and a bit of child abuse towards Otogi-kun, "… Anyhow, after that, I took over that part of the company and started to deal with him personally."

I think I'm still staring at him because he finally clears his throat and gives me a gentle smile, "I knew the two of you couldn't get into that much trouble… you're both too smart for that. Although you're not quite as flamboyant as that one…" he pats me on the shoulder, "But you've taught him to be gentle."

There's no doubt who he means by him… Seto. And I'm beginning to wonder if the whole world is in some type of conspiracy to make me go insane, if I'm not already… first Jyounouchi-kun, then Otogi-kun, then Koushiro-san and Taichi-san, then Michelle-san, and now Yoshizawa-san…

They're all sending me the same message, one that I fully comprehend but seemingly cannot accept. I don't know why that is, and I don't know how to stop it. It just… is.

It takes me a moment to realize that Yoshizawa-san is gone and I've been staring at blank air.

"Ryou? Daijoubu ka?" Seto's voice washes over me, warm and soothing. I've never noticed exactly how much I love his voice, but I do… it's strong and powerful, and he's got this tone that just screams of confidence to the point where it's almost unbelievable. How can somebody be so confident? Have so much faith in everything turning out right, the way it is supposed to? So much in this world is guided by insane and ridiculous reasons, and we conform to survive and throw away the things that make us… us.

I react to Seto's question by squeezing his hand, feeling as he responds similarly. He… he loves me for who I am, right? Not the person who we put out in order to survive, but the one who fights to get out and show the world what living life should truly be like.

I think I'm starting to get depressed again.

"Yeah… I'm fine."

There's something about all of this that is shaking me up. If we don't want to see something, can we imagine it away? Is that possible, or will we wake up one day to see the cold, hard truth staring at us in the face no matter how much we try to ignore it. We give up our souls so that we don't have to deal with rejection, but in the long run can we really escape? Those times where we let out our feelings and just be ourselves, those times that we learn to live and strive for even though we don't really know that we're feeling like this.

"Good," Seto ruffles my hair, making it a mess after I spent so much time trying to tame it down to being somewhat neat compared to its usual mess, and in only a few seconds he musses it up back to what it should be, what it would be if it wasn't for all the effort we use to keeping ourselves kept down.

I start to giggle at how insane my thoughts are getting to be. I really need to let go some time, and this might as well be the time. I need to find some way of pushing aside all the doubts that seem to pervade through my mind and allow myself to just break free. If only for one night.

If only because I know that I owe Seto to at least try.

"So…" he smiles easily, "How about dinner right about now?"

I just laugh and nod my head. I don't know why I'm laughing right now, but it feels pretty nice. You have to admit, I like the person Seto is beneath that cold exterior. Sure… it's kinda weird… who wouldn't consider reading shoujo manga and singing to shoujo anime theme songs weird? But it's a nice weird.

~ * ~

Once upon a time, when oniisan was "piss-ass drunk" (this is not my term for it, but his not-so-eloquent okusan [2] Erika-san's) at a very important business party, he started to dance on the tables and sing very loudly to American pop songs, even though it was more or less known that he didn't understand a vast majority of what he sang, especially in such a drunken state. Anyhow, somewhere along this point, he suddenly got down on his knees and yelling quite loudly about how the string that connects him to Erika-san will never be cut.

(Somewhere along _this_ point, Erika-san dragged him off the table and took him home, where he woke up the next morning with an excruciating hangover. I offered him no sympathy because about twenty minutes before he had been bodily dragged home, he had tried to set me up with a variety of his friends, something that did not bode very well with me.)

A while later, I found out that the 'string' was from a CLAMP shoujo manga. It basically was a string that linked two loved ones together [3] and allowed them to understand the other person's feelings. Or something like that.

I pick at my food as I try to ignore the pointed whispers and stares. I'm really quite lucky that Yuugi-tachi are very accepting of just about everything, or I would be having even more problems in life. I know that not everyone tends to harbor homophobic tendencies, but there's enough to make my life a living hell if I allowed it to.

There hasn't been much back lash from the 'announcement' on Monday, but there's been a bit. I've managed to ignore it, I always have. But it gets a bit difficult when it seems that everyone is somehow against you because of something that you have no control over.

I start when my face is lifted and a piece of sushi is rudely stuffed into my mouth, causing me to choke and glare at Seto, who is smirking lightly at me.

"You were getting that look again," he replies mildly as I quickly chew my food, still glaring at him as I hurry to swallow so I can give him a piece of my mind. But when I open my mouth to speak, he snags another one and shoves it into my mouth again, causing me to glare at him again.

"You know that look…" he snaps, waving his chopsticks threateningly at me. This time I'm smart enough not to open my mouth or risk getting something else shoved into it, but I can't help but continue glaring at him. My teeth are clenched and I have to concentrate not to open my mouth and bite his head off.

Not literally, of course.

I shake my head in reply, since I can't open my mouth. Argh, he can be so… annoying! Or something like that… I feel more like laughing, but I'm afraid of doing that. I think I'll choke if I try to eat and laugh at the same time, or do something equally embarrassing and detrimental to my already very much screwed up reputation… if I even have one of those. Which I probably don't, but that's a different story.

"The one you get when you're thinking too much," is the calm explanation. I open my mouth to protest and wince as he sticks another piece into my mouth. This guy should _not_ reproduce… he'll probably end up killing his kids (accidentally, of course) if he keeps acting like this… "Plus you're not eating."

That doesn't give you an excuse to shove something into my mouth!! Course, I can't tell him that because he'll… do that again if I try to get a word in.

I swear he's doing this on purpose.

Since I'm tired of being the one who's being fed, I pick up a piece for myself and glare at him, waving it at him to show my surrender. He smirks and opens his mouth, probably to say 'I told you so', but that is something we will never know because before _he_ can get the words out, I stick it into his mouth.

"My turn," I stick my tongue out at him, feeling oh-so-mature and powerful. Mwaha, I have power! Fear me!

I swear that somebody spiked my drink. That is the only explanation for why I'm acting like a… a… a… Oh, forget it, I don't know what I'm acting like. But I still think somebody spiked my drink.

"Good job," his voice has a measure of grudging respect, but there's a malicious light in his eyes that makes me think he's up to something…

"Thank you," I reply curtly, arming myself with some fish this time. Oh yeah, I'm prepared! Just in case he tries to do.. that again or something.

"I'm still in the lead though," Seto grins, looking very smug and self-satisfied. I take the opportunity to shove the fish into his mouth, and I happen to know for a fact that he's not extraordinarily fond of fish. Heh… well, nothing's perfect in life! Especially feeding fights, apparently.

"Not if you keep opening your mouth," I shoot back as Seto gets this little surprised look on his face as he cautiously chews the food that I shoved into his mouth. Heh, I never knew that this could be so much fun… but then again, the weirdest things have been seeming fun lately.

He leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek, smelling very much like fishy breath and vinegar rice. Not that I have any problem with it…

~ * ~

"I feel like dancing today."

I stare at Seto, who smiles lazily at me. Oh no, he's not getting me into this one… I remember when they had a dancing period in physical education back at school… since there were more boys than girls, the sensei (who never liked me very much… especially after the whole Yami-no-Bakura-turned-him-into-a-wooden-doll episode [4]) pulled me aside and made me a temporary 'girl', much to the amusement of Yuugi-tachi. Cause, as he explained, I already looked like a girl…

Anyhow, not only was that part of the day extraordinarily humiliating, but my dancing skills are more or less non-existent. I guess I'm not clumsy, par say, but that doesn't mean I can dance. I can dance about as well as a drunk man with no legs and arms. And no head, now that I think of it.

But the point is that I _know_ that _Seto_ knows I can't dance for beans because he was there… he was there smirking because I had got partnered up with Jyounouchi-kun, who I swear is even worse at dancing than I am. Can't help but feel very sorry for Mai-san right about now, but that's a different story. Besides, I don't think Seto was the one to be smirking… a majority of the female population were trying to get him for a dance partner.

"No," I reply flatly, sinking back into my seat and feeling a bit bloated. The feeding fight had not, unfortunately, ended when it was supposed to, and now we both look like we need some serious exercise. However, dancing does not go under my definition of exercise, which makes it a definite no-no. No, Seto, that look in your eyes is highly dangerous and conniving, and you had _so _better not be planning some way of getting me onto the dance floor because I'll let Yami no Bakura rip out your spleen before I do! You'll see!

"Just one?" he's still grinning.

I can learn to hate him right about now.

"No!"

Anyhow, yes, this explains why approximately thirty seconds later, the two of us are in the middle of dancing couples as we try to not get run over by the other couples. I'm going to die here… now that is pathetic. Killed on a dance floor by big skirts! Details at eleven!

"I hate you," I mutter as I accidentally do the wrong step and get my foot stepped on. Argh, he's doing this on purpose! I know he is!

Which is precisely why I don't really mind, even though I know I'm going to wake up tomorrow to have one gigantic bruise as my foot… that will certainly drive Jyounouchi-kun off the deep edge, if he hasn't already gotten to that point considering how he's been screeching for the past couple hours.

"You don't mean that," Seto replies as I bury my head into his shoulder, enjoying his warmth. I suppose if I have to get my feet stepped on, I might as well be comfortable on the top, "Or you wouldn't be holding me like you are."

I think we've given up on dancing because we're just lightly swaying back and forth to the slow music… Okay, so I have to hand it to him. This isn't too bad.

Seto has his nose more or less buried in my hair (I guess that answers the question of whether or not he likes peach) when a friendly hand rests on both our soldiers. We both blink in surprise and look as one to Yoshizawa-san, who is grinning quite jauntingly at us.

"Congratulations, Kaiba," he grins.

"For what?" there's a steely hint of coldness in Seto's voice that I haven't heard in a while, but either Yoshizawa-san doesn't catch it or just ignores it.

"The lawyers have completed the contract, and by now there should be a copy of it sitting on your desk," Yoshizawa-san is still grinning as the music reaches a climax, the sounds pounding in my mind as he reaches a hand out to Seto, who shakes it with a blank expression on his face, "Now you can enjoy the rest of the night with your koi without having to worry about it anymore… think of it as my parting gift to you two." He winks at us, but that emotionless mask in Seto's face has yet to change, and he just continues to blink at Yoshizawa-san.

"Arigatou, Yoshizawa-san," Seto bows politely, "It has been nice working with you."

"You too, Kaiba," Yoshizawa-san is still smiling, seemingly heedless of Seto's lack of expression. Or perhaps he just chooses to ignore it.

Maybe he can see through it? Maybe he can see something that I'm struggling to define? I'm just standing here, trying to figure out why he's looking like this… I would think that Seto would be happy about this.

It's over… the deal is over…

Yoshizawa-san and Seto are still going through the final small talk before their business partnership is completed, but it's as if it's a different person standing before me. It's the person I've known throughout high school and never wanted to get close to in fear of losing a couple vital body parts. Everything in the room is starting to feel cold again, and the music's soft melody continues to pound in my head, feeling oddly discomforting.

What's going on with me? With everyone?

It's over… the words keep repeating in my mind, and I don't know what to make of it. Does this mean that… all of it is over? That…

They're done talking, and Yoshizawa-san is now shaking my free hand enthusiastically. I can only give him an oddly confused look that seems glazed over. I must look like a zombie again… perhaps this whole world is really a game being played by giant monsters and we're all pieces of a puzzle. That might explain these conflicting ideas and reasons that seem to have no end and no beginning.

Then he's walking away and I'm staring at him with that same glazed expression.

Seto drops my hand and walks away, leaving me standing there searching desperately for an illusion that does not exist and never will.

As the music culminates in one final, heart-twisting finale before everything falls to a deafening silence.

~ * ~

I silently brush aside the questions of the girls staying at the dorm as I walk in, making a bee-line for my room. I walk by Honda-kun and Otogi-kun, who stare after me with confused expressions baring into my head as I quickly slide by them, unwilling to take any of their questions.

"Bakura-kun…" Otogi-kun's worried voice follows me but I've already shut the door to our dorm room before he can ask the inevitable question which I don't want to answer.

_I'll call you later_. The cold, detached words that seem to have an underlying message that the chance of him actually calling me is zero to none. Let's please squelch that bouncy hope which has no place in this world, shall we? How is it that the driving force of the human race can cause so much more pain than any other emotion in this world? He was always going to stay behind to help clean up, but it didn't matter because I left early. There really was no reason to stay, as there is nothing for me to wait for. Not anymore.

Jyounouchi-kun isn't there, something I thank the higher forces for doing. He probably went on a date with Mai-san, and I hope they're _much_ happier than I am.

There's nervous knocking at the door, but I decide to ignore it. Unfortunately, I also forgot to lock the door, and before I know it, Yami-kun walks in, holding something in his arms.

"Didn't go too well, I take it," he states kindly. I just nod my head.

"Honda-kun and Otogi-kun aren't mad at me, are they?" I ask softly. It will certainly do no good to isolate myself from the people who are actually trying to help me, that is a given.

"They understand." Then he hands something to me, something surprisingly fuzzy and very… pink. A shocking pink shade of pink…

Mr. Feathers? I blink at it, as if it will disappear from my hands. Just like everything else seems to be doing today. I'm kind of surprised that everything around me hasn't disappeared yet.

I look up at Yami-kun in confusion, and he shrugs lightly.

"I would have given you Yuki, but he's in here," Yami-kun taps his forehead, "So I figured that aibou's flamingo will be sufficient."

"What about Yuugi-kun?" I ask… not to say that I'm not appreciative of the former pharaoh's actions, but it still seems a bit weird. Randomly weird. But then again, this entire week could fit under that definition, so I guess I should just shut my mouth and listen.

"He won't notice," Yami-kun shrugs, "He and Anzu have something planned for today."

I just nod dumbly.

"Besides," he finally adds, sounding like he's feeling a bit awkward to have been placed in this situation, "He would understand even if I didn't ask for his permission for."

I just smile slightly as Yami-kun walks out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Am I really that easy to read or am I just pathetic? Perhaps both?

Mr. Feathers is looking a bit limp lying on the bed all by himself, so I quickly change into my pajamas and quickly join him, clutching him close to me. He's a rather ragged looking think, and I think about half of his pink fuzz has fallen out from years of love, but… all right, all right, he's still pretty adorable.

Clutching him tightly, silently thanking Yami-kun for his thoughtfulness, I finally close my eyes and lose myself to a fantasy world where dreams can be reality and reality counts for nothing at all. 

Translations and Notes:

[1] Yes, I know that in the anime, Ryuuji-kun went to Pegasus for getting his game produced. However, in the manga, I don't believe they ever said who it was that helped produce his game. I think that we're supposed to assume that it was just him and his father who did it, but I just thought that this was a nice way to bring everything together.

[2] Okusan is what you call somebody else's wife, but _not_ your own.

[3] The manga I refer to specifically is Wish, volume 2. CLAMP, if you don't know, is a four woman group whose work includes, among others, Cardcaptor Sakura.

[4] Reference to volume 6… this P.E. teacher said some mean things to Ryou-kun, and Yami no Bakura later turned the guy into a doll. *snicker*

PM: Do you all hate me now?

*long silence*

PM: Probably… first note is about that lemon story some of you want me to write. I put a notice up in my profile, but since I figure most of you probably don't read it (I wouldn't), it goes like this. A suggestion said I could have someone _else_ write the lemon story. I don't mind this, but if you're interested, _please_ e-mail me… don't leave a review saying you want me to get back to you because I don't have much time… sorry! Basically, the reason why I want you to e-mail me is because I have some requirements in terms of plot. So e-mail me! ^_^ And don't be worried if you don't get an answer for a while… I'm a bit busy…

**__**

Anyhow , SECOND **REALLY** IMPORTANT NOTE! I have some… um… very bad news. ^^;;; I am not going to be home on 12/22 and 12/29… in fact, I'm not exactly going to be in this country on those dates. Which means I won't be able to publish chapters 16 and 17 until next year… *ducks rotten veggies* I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! Basically, since I know for a fact that I won't be able to publish by then (chapter 16 especially is an _extremely_ long chapter), I won't be publishing chapter 16 until January 5, if even then. You see, I get back on Friday night, and while I'll have way too much time to do it on airplanes… I tend to get a bit air sick so who knows if I'll finish in time! Especially with jet lag… sorry! ^^;;;; Please don't kill me…

Yami: A smart person might have ended this chapter on a less-than-cliffhanger-like-situation…

PM: Blehhhh…

Ja ne!

Pikachumaniac


	16. Comfort Zone

.Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh belongs to Takahashi Kazuki, and I have no part whatsoever in it. Except maybe as annoying fangirl who is trying to brainwash everyone into liking Seto*Ryou and Honda*Ryuuji… ::^_^::

Fairydust

PM: *sheepish smile* Hi minna. Sorry I couldn't update on the 5th like I was hoping I would, but jet lag just got to me and I couldn't write without wanting to fall asleep every ten seconds. Plus I had a ton of homework to deal with.

Yami: You're just full of excuses, aren't you?

PM: Just… just shut up right now… I didn't really want to put off this chapter because that means I'll be pushing the next chapter really close to finals week… but that's life, I guess. I tried writing it but it didn't really work. *sigh* Anyhow, hope you guys didn't go too insane… And I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait. First scene takes place on Thursday night. ^_^

^_^ Many thanks to Nalan-san for her wonderful beta-ing (I sent it to Mariel and… smart of me, forgot to attach the chapter! -_-;;;), and all the reviewers: Sad Andy (not going to murder me, right? *worried*), Chibigreen Tanuki (Mr. Feathers *sulking*), rayemars (fluff is just not my thing… :p), Wildwolf (Eeeeeep… *scared*), Neko-chan (Getting a bit pissed about my ranting, aren't you? :p And did you ever get my e-mail?), Angel-Belle, Duff (illegal use of a cliffhanger? ~ kinda amused by that one :p), Nightshadow (no double special unless you want to wait for another week), tuulikki (glaring at me? Why would you do that? *innocent look*), *i n c o h e r e n t*, Shenya (I'm sure the real Mr. Feathers thinks so too :p), loanshark, Shamanic Guardian Lena (I went to Italy. ^_^), Saki, Bronze Eagle (*ducks the mallet* Why is everyone hitting me!!), … blank… (:p It's not over until the next chapter), Beholder of the Shadows (:p Well, I did warn you people about calm before the storm), Indigo Tantarian (everyone, just blame the flamingo on my friend who gave it to me for Christmas), Beverly (*sniffles* You don't really hate me, right?), dilanda (Ryou: I do have no luck when it comes to PM…), ali, Achika-chan, Nalan Li (*hiding behind a dancing bush* Help…), KawaiiShinigami (come on… cliffhangers add… um… spice to life!), Aishiteru Tenshi, Tainted Angel, tuulikki (again… heehee… Jyounouchi… which is more likely to be spelled Jounouchi, but it depends on what you think is more important, whether it's character bios or actual dialogue… is DEFINITELY the last name and Katsuya is his FIRST name. *glares* Jyounouchi is in no way his first name. Katsuya is not his last name… *pet peeve* And thanks for your compliment of Emi-chan! ^_^), Katana, fani90 (O_O Ouch… glad I'm not Kaiba right now), Soulwindow (I use the -kun, -san, -chan because Ryou is naturally a polite person and he would in all likelihood think of the people that way in his thoughts, not just call them that unless he's being sarcastic or something), Ayod Botla (you did review once! ^^;;; Don't worry about it… And don't be mean to Seto! He's just… just… going to get his ass kicked by me once I get to it), bakuras-sea-monkey (I get my manga at a Japanese bookstore… if there's not one close by, you can try a Chinese bookstore, except then it'll be in Chinese), DragonLUPINzero (^_^ Thanks for the update!), dani (poor kitty… ^^;;; And this chapter was unwritten on the 6th, due to a happy bout of jet lag), and TenacousD4ever. ^_^ Hope the wait wasn't too excruciating for any of you!

~ Comfort Zone ~

You know your life has hit a definite low when you're afraid of the phone. Or it might just be me, but I still think that I've reached an all-time pathetic-level due to the fact that I've kept my cell phone off since… well, Sunday night, only turning it on in order to check the handy answering machine feature.

A task that is becoming as frightening as actually having the phone now… yet I still prefer that than the alternative, something that confuses me a bit.

"Hi, this is Bakura Ryou. I'm sorry but I can't come to the phone right now, so please leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can."

The same message has played over and over again for the past week, a monotonous drone that never changes but instead becomes an annoying presence somewhat akin to that of a parasitic mosquito. This is due to the concept of me deciding to keep my cell phone off until he calls and I can hear his voice on the answering machine to get out of his life and drop dead. For reasons I still cannot quite discern, I prefer a recorded rejection to a live one.

Perhaps it is because unlike most events (both the good and the bad) which sneak up on you without any warning whatsoever, I can at least have some control over when and how much I have to hear when he calls. Ah, the wonders of modern technology.

It's easier than moving to Norway, at least.

It's childish, and I know it all too well. After all, I've only told myself this multiple times each day for the past couple days. Still, I keep at it, unable to face the fear and nerve-wracking anticipation of that inevitable phone call. Unless he chooses not to call? Then I can spend the rest of my life avoiding phones… great, as if I couldn't get anymore pathetic than I already am. Face it, that really is quite an accomplishment, although that's not necessarily a good thing.

*Beep!*

"Ryou, this is your dad… where have you been? You haven't called all week! And what was that about you getting kidnapped? Ryou, where on earth are you? Is it really asking for too much for you to call your suffering father at appropriately timed intervals?"

Sweatdrop.

Actually, otousan, it is too difficult to call you at appropriately timed intervals, but I can't tell you that. Right now, it's asking for too much just to have me check my messages at the end of the day… I'm so scared of what might be waiting for me, of hearing his voice. I shouldn't be but I am.

I… I don't really know why this situation is affecting me so much. Cause it really shouldn't, right? I know it wasn't supposed to last this long… I know the possibility of ups and downs. I learned that when I fought with him about how much time I'm willing to devote to his cause.

We're… we're not compatible in the first place. Didn't the aforementioned argument illustrate that point? We don't belong together and we don't work together. We get maybe a couple good days and then a rotten day where everything falls apart and… and… it just wouldn't have worked, right? It never would have worked out and I was foolish to ever think I could mean anything more than a week's entertainment.

Okay, perhaps that is being harsh. It's not completely his fault that we're in this mess because I never should have agreed in the first place. So in a way, I'm just as much to blame for all of this happening as he is. I should have said no, should have found some way to keep any of this happening.

Wouldn't we both have been a lot happier that way?

*Beep!*

"Ryou, where are you? And exactly why is your cell phone off?! Tousan gave you that thing for a reason you know. Why haven't you told me anything yet? Do I really have to watch the news to find out that you're supposedly dating Kaiba Seto?!

"–Ignore your brother, Ryou. He's just having hysterics again.

"–ERIKA! 

"–Get off the phone until you can speak like a _normal_ human being!"

I can't help but scowl at the phone despite the previous message - which was decidedly humorous – and maybe I would have laughed if I wasn't feeling so… so… sulky right now. But with the phone still promising many unheard messages that all magically appeared in the span of 24 hours, and with the possibility that one of them might be his (then again, it probably isn't because realistically speaking, I don't think he's going to call anyway), I don't want to deal with them at all.

Yes, I'm a coward. That is an established fact. I'm too scared by the possibility of him calling merely for the purpose of saying something along the lines of 'Thanks for your help. Let's not ever see each other again' to keep the phone on. Or even worse, what happens if he doesn't even bother to tell me that himself? What happens if he just hires somebody else to do it for him? He has the resources, the people. He could and…

Would he though?

I thought I found a different side of him in that past week, a side that he's kept hidden from everyone else except Mokuba. The side that reminded me of giant teddy bears and soothing raspberry tea, the side that liked shoujo manga and singing to Cardcaptor Sakura songs. The side with emotions and the side that actually cared.

It couldn't have been a dream, could it? An illusion which I failed to grasp for what it really was? A disillusion on my behalf because I couldn't accept what was really there?

There's so many questions and I don't want to answer them. In a way, I don't want them to ever be answered. Because while all of the answers might be a resounding 'no', there's always that possibility where the answer is 'yes'. Yes, it was never real. You were a fool to think that it could be real in the first place. You're a simple-minded, blind, trusting fool who thought that you had stumbled onto something that was never meant to be.

*Beep!*

"Ryou-kun, it's Koushiro. Are you okay? Taichi and I have been worried about you. And your father is having hysterics. Again. You know what I mean. If you have the time, please call. Ja ne."

Why do they keep asking if I am okay? Why do they expect an answer when one was never given in the first place? Isn't it obvious that I am not feeling okay? And even in the unlikely case that they fail to realize that I'm currently feeling ready to die, it's not like I'm going to just call them up and tell them that. I don't want to call anyone up or talk to anyone. I don't even want to talk to Yuugi-tachi, preferring to sit in a corner and just stare blankly at the wall because the wall is one of the few things that don't send a torrent of memories with him upon me.

All I want to do is sit here and wallow in misery while still entertaining blind hopes that it will all somehow turn out okay. That maybe he'll call…

Um, yeah right? It's been nearly four days since he more or less told me to get out of his life. Both he and the rest of the world know that he's not going to call.

In fact, I might even know that he's not going to call as well…

*Beep!*

"Bakura-kun, this is Michelle. Would you like to come back some time and help out? Atsoko-chan misses you, and maybe we can talk."

I don't want to deal with this right now. I don't want to think about this right now. Why do all of these phone calls bring up memories of the past week even though they have nothing to do with him? Great, I'm probably getting mildly obsessive with him… as if I needed any more tiresome qualities.

My mind is now a jumbled up pot of confusion as I try to organize the clutter into some understandable way. As I try to figure out what is reality and what is fantasy, needing to discard some of the fantasies which have kept me going for this long in order to make way for the cold, bitter reality.

Yes or no? Yes or no? Why are you so afraid? You don't need to deal with this right now; you can just turn off the cell phone and pretend that none of this is happening. Your life is screwed up enough already, you can get out of it. You don't have to do it. You don't have to do anything…

Yes, why don't I just sit around and wait for the ceiling to cave in on me? Why don't I just lie here for the rest of my life and wait until mold starts growing on my toenails?

Life is made up of options and decisions, and we always have to choose to do something. Even if it's sitting here and rotting, something that doesn't appeal to me very much (for reasons I find quite obvious).

Besides, if I don't have to do anything, why on earth did I ever agree to being Seto's boyfriend for a week? If I had known these things would happen, would I have accepted? Would I have allowed myself to experience several days of unrivaled happiness only to be plunged into the icy depths of rejection and, ultimately, reality?

It sometimes seems that we are all gluttons for punishment because we continue to hope against logic and reason that our fantasies will come true. Even when reality is staring at us in the face, just waiting with a sledgehammer to completely shatter our grave misconceptions.

I do believe I'm becoming morbid.

Or maybe I've always been morbid, and it's just taken me this long to figure it out. Heh. Personally, whichever one the answer turns out to be, I don't think I'll like it. But then again, I am beginning to have self esteem problems and am finding many things wrong with myself, so I suppose that it doesn't really matter.

*Beep!*

My hand moves to turn off the cell phone and cut off the answering machine, which is just becoming too depressing for me to deal with. I don't really want to think about Seto… it's as of my childish, naïve belief that if I don't think about him, this entire thing will just go away and I will never have to deal with it again.

"Ohayou, Bakura-kun. This is Emi. I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me tomorrow afternoon…"

~ * ~ Friday

In a way, I can't tell who's more nervous, whether it is myself or Emi-san… Possibly both, possibly neither. I'm still trying to figure out what this emotion welling up within me is.

Currently, we are sitting at a rather nice restaurant. It's not the same as the one on the day we met, nor is it nearly as fancy as that one, but it's still pretty nice. And probably very expensive. I don't know because it was one of those places where the menu doesn't have prices, and now I'm absolutely petrified by the idea that my lunch might be costing me the same amount of money as half my college tuition. Sure, it sounds crazy, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

Besides, just about everything about these past few days can be described with a single word: absurd. I'm beginning to wonder what the point of any of this was. Why would he ask me to pretend his boyfriend if all he needed to do was tell her that he was gay? Why would she want to further any type of relationship between the two of us when we can leave things better off alone? Why does the earth revolve around the sun, begging for light that it eventually gets but what does it have to go through to get it? And in the same thread, why does the lonely moon revolve around the earth, the only attention it gets coming from the ocean and poets?

And why, above all why's, would he ever bother to begin a relationship if he was going to end it in such a manner?

I… I don't really think he's sadistic in that way, nor is he stupid. He's not the type of person who looks like he would get easily frustrated or confused, although he can get emotional when it comes to the people he cares for. Like Mokuba.

But me? Never me.

Emi-san clears her throat, startling me out of my musings. Her brown eyes are shaded by her light brown hair, which in the sunlight looks rather mousy.

"I… um… I'm glad you made it," she finally says, nervously twisting a lock of her hair around a finger, "I got the phone number from Mai-chan. She got it from her boyfriend."

Oh Kami-sama, she must be psychic. I had been wondering about that, as I'm pretty sure that my cell phone number isn't readily available (still, that doesn't explain the hordes of telemarketers) to the public… heck, I'm not even sure if Seto knows my cell phone number, which might be a problem or a blessing, depending on your point of view. I myself am unsure of which it is, and frankly I don't want to figure it out right now.

I'm still at the stage where I want to dig a hole to the other side of the earth and set up residence in an abandoned shack where nobody can find me.

I'm clingy. Ha, that must be it. I'm clinging to a fantasy while everyone else is off on a one-way trip to reality. How simple was that to explain?

"It was the least I could do after the effort you put in." The words come out mechanically. I don't bother to elaborate on the fact that it took a great deal of effort for me to agree in the first place, and even more effort simply to turn on the phone and call her to leave a message on her answering machine about my agreement.

"Otouchan asked me to do it."

I'm a bit surprised by how frank she is being, even though I really shouldn't be. At least that explains why she went through with this… I didn't think she would do it out of her own will.

There's a long silence, both of us at an impasse because of her last comment. She looks a bit flustered now, as if she has realized her mistake.

"Go… gomen… I shouldn't have said that." (I can't help but feel sorry for her now, she just looks so upset with herself.) "I… I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I mean, otouchan really did ask me to do this for him, but I would have done it anyway after what happened on Sunday."

"What do you mean by that?" I can't help but ask, a bit shocked with how frank she's being.

She gives me a critical look, one that makes me want to squirm from its hawk-like fervor as it seems to dig into my soul. Reminding me conspicuously of Seto… I thought I wasn't going to think about him anymore? Thinking about it only makes it worse, from what I've heard.

Yeah, maybe I can convince myself that none of it really happened… and maybe it was all a pleasant dream with a not-so-pleasant ending. And maybe the world will be blown up tomorrow by a nuclear war.

Fun… although considering the news these days…

"It wasn't supposed to be real, was it?"

That immediately gets my attention. I finally give myself in to her look, finding myself caught up in the question that has caught me completely off-guard. My throat is dry and I am at an inability to talk.

I guess that she notices that because she charges ahead, "You… you and Seto-kun. It wasn't supposed to end up the way it did; it wasn't ever supposed to be real. The two of you were never supposed to really get together."

She's not saying this from a sulky, 'I've-lost-and-can't-handle-it' viewpoint, but more from a quiet observer who has apparently finally figured out the secret to what she had been wondering about.

Maybe if I wasn't so tired of lies, or maybe if I was feeling a bit more innovative, I would have tried to refute her statements. But I'm so tired of living this horrible little lie which has done nothing more than make me feel emotions which I wanted to feel but now wish I never had.

Love is such a wonderful thing, it truly is, but when it's thrown back into your face in a series of horrid events, you end up wishing that you could have steered clear of it.

"Yeah. He asked me to do it for him to avoid you." Hey, if we're going to strip down to our souls and tell the truth, might as well do it all the way. Or maybe I'm just bitter and insane… well, whatever it is that is causing me to act like this, it's too late to retract that statement.

"Nani?!"

She looks a bit peeved by that, folding her arms and glaring at an offending vase of flowers that are a pretty shade of blue and remind me of his eyes… ahhh, damn it. I thought I wasn't going to think about this. Anyway, I'm beginning to get worried about Emi-san frothing at the mouth, which she happens to look very close to doing.

"Asshole," she muttered darkly, sticking her tongue out at the vase as if it was really him standing there… or as if he had been watching from a tiny video camera taped to its surface, "I hope he realizes what an asshole he can be sometimes."

"…" I really don't know how to reply to that profound observation… in a way, she's just voicing what I have and probably never will have the courage to say.

"And not just to me… but to you too," she looks at me, and I recognize an odd 'shounen-ai fangirl' sparkle coming into her eyes. I've seen it one too many times from Anzu, who also had a fetish for these types of couplings in stories, although she didn't read them that often.

"Emi-san…"

She politely brushes off my stuttered attempts to get a pointless word in, instead giving me a shy, apologetic smile, "I… I'm sorry I was so cold with you on that first night."

"It was understandable," I smile weakly. I'm still confused on where this conversation is supposed to be going, but I'm not going to be the one to direct it.

"Otouchan talked to me afterwards," she is suddenly discovering the many interesting things one can do with straw wrappers, and sooner or later I have a feeling she will be making small paper cranes from the square blocks she has been absent-mindedly ripping, "I think he suspected all along."

I can't help but grimace at that one… gah, was I really that bad? "He probably did… I might have if I was in his position." But then again, if it was _me_ in his position, I probably wouldn't have noticed that the moon revolved around the earth, too caught up in miniscule details such as blunt sarcasm in my thoughts.

"You were a bit too obvious on that first night," Emi-san grins impishly, "Besides, how realistic was it that the two of you could keep it under wraps for so long? Especially with the media hounding like that…"

She's got a point there, and the both of us know it so I don't bother to congratulate her on this victory. Although it's not like it's really a battle or anything, both of us trying to one-up the other. I don't know precisely what this is, but I know for sure that it isn't that…

"Tell me something I don't know."

"All right," is the frank reply, something that causes me to give her a surprised look, "Otouchan meant it when he said that the two of you were good for each other… that's why he wanted to talk to me. He saw that I was upset but then he told me that I never had a chance at it anyway, and that I should be happy that Seto-kun found someone."

I still can't help but stare at her, and especially at that version of Yoshizawa-san. I always knew that he was a kind man, but… but… but! I still have no idea how Seto could have thought that he would break the deal if he didn't get together with Emi-san, and it's a question that has been plaguing me for an unreasonably long amount of time.

It's quite irritating, actually.

"I… err… didn't really pay attention to what he said until later," she laughs lightly, "But hey, I did eventually, right? Although I guess that doesn't say too much about me."

"Don't say that," I interrupt, "After all, how many people would have been able to do just that much?"

"…" She looks at me quizzically, something that people do to me often. I don't know why they do that, but I seem to get that type of look a lot more often than most people do.

"What?" I finally ask, feeling uncomfortable from the stare. Even though I should be used to it, but just because I'm used to it, it doesn't mean I have to actually like it.

"Otouchan was right, you know. You really are good for him."

I don't get the chance to say something because just then, the waiter comes with our food. And as he sets it down and Emi-san thanks him, I can't help but think about her last comment.

If I really am that good for him, then why didn't it work out?

~ * ~

Lunch is spent over small talk, lighter subjects that don't require any embarrassment on either of our behalf. In the process, I discovered that she has a new boyfriend, an on-going friendship with Mai-san, two cats, an adopted seal, and loves watching sports. In her turn, she discovered about Jyounouchi-kun, Yami-kun's love for inanimate objects, Yuugi-kun's own love for an inanimate object, and the soap opera romance of Honda-kun and Otogi-kun, something that really made her laugh. Turns out that she knows Otogi-kun too, and told me quite frankly that she always knew he was gay.

"But his fans…"

"Oh come on. Haven't you seen the way he stands?" [1]

And so on.

Anyhow, now both of us are stuffed and we're both preparing to leave. I haven't gotten the bill yet, so I give Emi-san a questioning look as she swings her bag over her shoulder.

"Otouchan is a long-time customer here. It's going on his tab."

"Demo…" I can't help but feel guilty about not being able to pay on my own. I don't want to have to smooch off of her or her father, no matter how willing they may seem to be.

"It's okay, really. Besides, it was nice of you to even come. I know that I haven't really been helping matters, and it was nice to get to know you outside of business contacts."

I can't help but blush slightly at that, "A… arigatou Emi-san…"

"-chan."

"Na… nani?" I blink at her, looking at her as if she has just lost her mind… which I think we have all done at one point or another, so it's not really that big of a deal.

"-chan. You can just call me Emi-chan," she throws me a smile, one that is real and makes her look beautiful, something that sincere smiles always tend to do, "After all, we're friends now, aren't we Ryou-kun?"

"Have you always been this impertinent?" I can't help but ask. She doesn't bother to reply to that question, her smile widening as she waves good-bye and walks out of the restaurant, reminding me conspicuously of a fairy who has just done an awful job in cleaning the world, sweeping away the lies and spreading dust onto those who need it most.

And leaving a torrent of confusion as an interesting side dish, just to spice things up.

… still, I could have done without it.

~ * ~

"Err… daijoubu ka, Bakura-kun?"

I find myself looking into the very concerned eyes of Otogi-kun, and I smile brightly in an attempt to do away with my confusion. Unfortunately, the smile looks fake and it doesn't quite extend as much as it should, making me feel very dejected and wholly undermining my attentions.

"I'm fine, Otogi-kun."

His eyebrow raises, causing me to fidget. I hate it when he does that; it makes me feel so uncomfortable. Although, now that I think of it, that's probably the point of that action, making me feel that Otogi-kun is very sadistic and that I can only hope Honda-kun cures him of such an unfortunate quality.

"You know," he says finally, "It's better to say what's on your mind than keep it all locked away to the point where you start obsessing over it."

I can't help but frown at the concept that he's once again (more or less) read my mind. It's something I should be used to because he seems to do it quite often with other people, but it's something that I also do not like very much. It makes me feel like the already faltering grip that I have on my own life is slipping, something that I can't help but find rather depressing. I've already given up so much of myself to other people, but not to this point. Never to this point. Even Yami Bakura never got me to this point, the point where I feel like I'm losing my grasp on reality itself. It's not a pleasant feeling and it's worrying me for a reasonable cause, but I also see no way of stopping it.

"I know that," I finally reply, choosing my words slowly and carefully because I do not want to offend him in any way. Needless to say, Otogi-kun tends to get peeved easily when offended, but then again, doesn't everybody? It just depends on how we show it… Otogi-kun just doesn't bother to hide it when he gets frustrated.

"I know you know that. I'm just pointing it out to you again because you're not doing anything with it."

I bite my lip to keep myself from saying something I'll end up regretting, and there's quite a bit I can say that can do just that. So it's probably better to keep my mouth shut, even though that just ends up giving Otogi-kun more room to lecture me on things I already know.

Most likely, nothing he has to say will be anything new from what he has already said, along with the others. Emi-chan has added her own two cents (to use that American phrase), but it too has done nothing more than confuse me to the point of getting a major headache. I'm also starting to have problems keeping my emotions in check, tired from the pent-up stress that is finally threatening to break through and make my life a living hell.

If it isn't that already, which is something that is wholly debatable. I for one plan on taking the affirmative side, as I don't think I could feel any worse if I was suddenly dumped into non-denominational hell for no reason whatsoever except to prove me wrong… which I don't think is possible.

The proving me wrong part, I mean.

It's weird because everything that they have said to me makes sense and I understand what they're trying to say. Up to this point, I've always been in _their_ shoes, trying to give sound advice to somebody who apparently just doesn't want to listen. It's hard to suddenly be on the other side, and I still don't understand what is making me act like a stubborn brat who refuses to listen to what is right and continues to court misconceptions like a new bride.

Maybe I should stop thinking in metaphors and similes.

"It's not going to be this bad forever, Bakura-kun."

I snap.

It's been coming for a while, I know it has, but suddenly it feels like the blood is roaring in my ears and that I just can't handle it anymore. I'm sick of being used, being at the beck and call of someone and then easily dropped because it was nothing more than a ploy despite what everybody thinks and says. I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines watching life goes on and finally being able to experience a taste of it, only to be thrown back into my normal life, and then I'm sick of not being able to deal with it because isn't that what life is about? Being able to deal with whatever is thrown with you? But just because 'whatever kills you makes you stronger' and all that crap exists and is supposedly true, it doesn't make the process any easier than the hardship it already poses as.

"What do you know?" I finally explode, not even caring that people are starting to come out in hordes and are pointing and whispering excitedly. Next will come out the tape recorders and video cameras, but I don't care anymore.

"What do you know, Otogi-kun? You… you got what you wanted, didn't you? How would you know what any of this feels like? How do you know what it's like to have to go every damn day knowing that people view you as some type of puppet they can toss around and use as they please? And that when one of those times finally came, I was just… just… _stupid_ enough to believe that I could have something more and that it wasn't just another attempt for life to completely and utterly make me feel like a useless piece of crap who has no will of my own? How can you just _stand_ there and tell me that it's not going to be bad forever? How do you know? Don't be so idealistic, the world doesn't work like that! I'm tired of having everything I hope for thrown back into my face, and I certainly don't need anymore help at that! How dare you tell me that everything is going to work out when we all know damn well that it's not going to because… because…"

My voice trails off there because I don't know why it's not going to work out. I just know that it isn't; there is no real reasoning behind my words.

Otogi-kun, to his credit, doesn't look terribly pissed at me. In fact, he doesn't look like he is feeling any emotion over my emotional outburst, which only causes the anger to stay at a maximum peak level which is definitely not good for all parties involved. As just illustrated.

Before my mind can be completely overtaken by emotional anger and distress, I abruptly turn on my heels and slam the door open, the back of my mind registering a sudden cry of protest from Otogi-kun, which I quickly proceed to ignore.

Not that it makes a difference now.

Suddenly, I feel all my anger burning away and leaving me drained, feeling like a light bulb which has been used at maximum voltage and has suddenly lost all its power. Otogi-kun is next to me, and I bet he's grimacing as we both stare at Jyounouchi-kun, who is on the phone screaming his head off.

Into Seto's answering machine.

I don't know how I already know this, but I just do. It was as if it was some subliminal message that suddenly made itself obviously known. And the little logical part of my brain is just sitting there and nodding to itself, now contented, saying something along the lines of 'ah… so this is what Otogi-kun was trying to keep me from'.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist or even a middle school graduate to figure out why Otogi-kun thought I might be upset when I entered my own room…

"You started this, Kaiba! And I'll be damned if I stand aside and let you end it this way! You might have ignored me when I said that I would hunt you down and kick your ass if you ever hurt him, but I _wasn't_. I meant every word of it and it's not his fault if he didn't see the creepy slime you were. You finish this in a decent way because he deserves at _least_ that much. And you know that better than any of us can!" Jyounouchi-kun screams, barely coherent yet I understand every word that he says without having to concentrate. It is as if the words have been written out for me in big, neon-colored letters and have been nicely strung before me in a glittering and dazzling display of lights to celebrate Obvious-ville's grand opening.

Silence.

The problems with living in the dorms is that you can get very little privacy. In fact, the only place with a lock is the bathroom, and before either Jyounouchi-kun or Otogi-kun can say anything, I excuse myself and lock myself in the bathroom where I immediately break down into tears.

Oh Kami-sama… Jyounouchi-kun was right, he was right all along. How could I have been so naïve as to allow myself to get swept up in the moment? Why couldn't I have known better? He knew all along that this was going to happen, and although he warned me, I never listened. Noooo, I had to listen to my emotions, rather than my common sense.

Human beings may be emotional creatures, but I really wish we could listen to our common sense a bit more…

At least my tears aren't loud, like a baby's, although they're lucky because they don't have to worry about looking like a fool before other people. They don't care, they don't know better. So many restrictions are created as you grow up and it's hard not to envy the people who have no conceptions of rules.

Suddenly, I feel the warmth from the Sennen Ring through my shirt, and I look up through reddened eyes to see Yami Bakura standing before me. I feel like I'm going insane. Why now? Why now of all times? Haven't I gone through enough, why does he have to add to this all?

We kinda look at each other, even as I continue to shake from those uncontrollable tears. I flinch as he moves forward, expecting him to shake me and tell me to get over it, that it doesn't matter anymore. That is what he's like… he thrives for the next day, rather than worrying about the last or even the present. He keeps moving forward because he has a goal and wants to attain it rather than worry about things like romantic notions.

To my surprise, instead of shaking me or even giving me a few harsh words, he lays his hands gently on my shoulders, pulling me close. It feels weird, like clinging air, and I can't feel his touch anyway. Still, I just start to cry into his shoulder, or where his shoulder should be, but does any of that matter right now?

Reality never was as good as fantasy, anyway.

He strokes my hair in a comforting motion, although his hand just goes through the white strands. It reminds me of Amane's death, the first time I had to deal with death in such a close manner [2]. I remember when the medics came to tell us of the news. I was sitting in otousan's lap and he was stroking my hair as we waited for the news that we already knew. It was really only a matter of time…

But… why is he doing this? What purpose does he have in trying to make me feel better? Is this a part of a plan or something of the same thread?

I lift my tear-streaked face to look at him, and there's an awkward silence as he stops stroking my hair. His red eyes are fixated on the bathroom mirror, not at me, and he seems entranced by it.

"You…" the word comes out softly, oddly, as if he doesn't know what he wants to say, let alone how to say it.

Silence.

"You said thank you."

Translations and Notes:

[1] Kind of an inside joke… basically, whenever anyone who knows a whit about Yu-gi-oh and is a girl who is comfortable with shounen-ai comes anywhere near me, I go into my 'Ryuuji-kun is sooooo definitely gay' rant. ^_~ But I won't do that to you… this time.

[2] Amane is Ryou's younger sister. She died in a car crash… speaking of which, Ryou doesn't… really have an older brother. *laughs nervously* The reference to an older brother that I was mentioning was actually a reference to himself. *more nervous laughter* So… yeah… *rushes away from the barrage of rotten vegetables*

PM: ^^;;; I hope this chapter wasn't too bad… I've been getting a bit stressed these days, so that might account for how bad this chapter is. And you guys, I'm really not just saying that! -_-;; Even though you probably think I'm just whining again…

Jyou: Whining is all you ever do. Even in this story you're mostly whining.

PM: You mean Ryou-kun, right?

Jyou: You're the one writing it…

PM: Ah shut up.

^_^ Next week (hopefully)… final chapter! :p See you guys then!

Pikachumaniac


	17. Fairydust

Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh belongs to Takahashi-san, and unless a great miracle (or curse, depending on your perspective) should occur, I will not be gaining ownership of it anytime soon.

PM: Wah… final chappy. But everything has to end. And it's time I moved on. Man, this story was a monster. Definitely my longest story, as it is about 94 pages long. I guess you all have been anticipating this chapter, and I hope it's good (considering I wrote a vast majority of it between studying for finals on Saturday morning…).

Yami: She's getting all teary-eyed…

PM: *sniffles* I can't help it… writing this fic has been quite an experience, and the only people who have been mean are YOU muse-like thingys… 

Ryuuji: -_-;; We're not muses.

PM: Whatever you say, leeches. This chapter takes place on Saturday, and please excuse any grammatical errors. However, I decided not to have this chapter beta-read because I wanted to save it for everyone at the same time. :p Just call it a whim… Enjoy, minna!

~ Fairydust ~

The rain's coming down hard, and I can only be thankful that it didn't start until I reached the safety of the dorms. It's raining bucketful's out there, as if somebody had poked a hole in an already-straining water balloon, letting the contents out in one horrific rush. It's the kind of weather which makes you want to curl up in your blankets and read a book, but Jyounouchi-kun had the fabulous idea of finally washing the blankets and bed spreads, depriving me of even that small joy. Although I have to admit that it was quite a sight to see Jyounouchi-kun lugging a bundle of blankets down the hallway, me sighing and following him to pick up everything he dropped, which was just about half of what he had previously been carrying.

This is probably a good time to see my friends, but that notion is clearly wrong seeing that they're all out. Shortly after I got back from class, Jyounouchi-kun went off on a date with Mai-san. He actually asked me if I wanted to come with him, seeing how pathetic I am, I suppose, but I declined. I don't think Mai-san would want me there, no matter how quiet I would be. The couples of Yuugi-kun and Anzu, and now Honda-kun and Otogi-kun, are also out, although they were intelligent enough not to ask me to go with them.

My mind's jumbled and confused… I feel like being alone, but I also feel like having some company. It's odd… I just feel so uncomfortable when I'm around people these days, but when I'm alone, my thoughts tend to wander to subjects better left alone. While Otogi-kun and Emi-chan's talks yesterday helped a little in clearing my thoughts, it doesn't help the fact that my thought process is what's really messed up.

Perhaps I should begin to write again. Writing is one of the best ways to get your minds off reality because instead of dealing with real life, you can plunge yourself into a fantasy world where there are happy endings and arguments that never last. Nobody is unhappy because it's as if they know that eventually, something good will come along. And the author is the happiest of them all, reigning undisputed as he (or she) acts as the master puppeteer, pulling the strings and allowing everything to happen the way it does. If he is happy, perhaps his writing will reflect that… I've noticed that when somebody is unhappy, the writing tends to be more pleasant, more free. Because the author has lost himself into that happy place and nobody can bother him until the inevitable conclusion of the story.

I used to write a lot more when I was younger, when I was tired of dealing with Amane's death or the messy divorce between otousan and okaasan. Both of them are generally pleasant people, but somehow when they were together, it never seemed to work. It started out pretty slow, some angry words here and there, but it eventually continued to gain in momentum until it just about exploded into a screaming argument with broken furniture and two sons cowering in the bathroom, one trying to comfort the other who saw his life completely crumbling before his eyes.

It wasn't long before the divorce papers were finalized, and the two split. Oniisan went with okaasan while I went with otousan, something that some people found odd because shouldn't the mother take the younger son? But no, I had always been closer to otousan while oniisan was closer to okaasan, and we were comfortable with the changes. Besides, after the argument, otousan realized that he needed to get closer to his sons… well, one son now because the other was gone.

They still see each other once in a while. The conversation had long ago gotten past polite conversation, and is now friendly banter with laughter and smiles all around. The kind of civility that made oniisan and I dance around because we thought that maybe… just maybe…

No longer do oniisan and I skulk in the corners, waiting for a sign that the two of them will get together as we used to hope they would. They're happier than they were before, and who are we to even consider denying them this fact? Okaasan is seeing someone else while otousan remains single, his schedule too erratic to handle beginning a new relationship. Besides, he is obviously content with the people he already has around him, people like Koushiro-san and Taichi-san, and other friends who share schedules as time-consuming as his. 

Anyhow, since there's really nothing left for me to do, I decide on a shower. There's no work to be done (and even if there was, I quite honestly don't feel like doing it), no books to be read that have not been read before, no people to talk to (at least, not without an inevitable question about _him_ being asked), and no TV to watch, even in an act of extreme desperation.

Besides, there's no doubt that it's definitely a nice way to relax, especially on such a rainy day. I suppose that if I am going to get drenched, I might as well do it with warm water.

It also helps that my mind tends to clear up when I'm in the shower, and I might be able to untangle the chaotic web that makes up my thoughts… or at least get my mind off of him. I really do think that I'm starting to obsess over something that does not need to be obsessed over, but no matter. Just as long as I don't say it out loud, I suppose, it won't make a difference to anyone except myself. And it's not as if I count for much in the grand scheme of things.

Shower. Poke. Now. Want to relax. Poke. Move it. Now.

I can't help but smirk at my own thoughts, which are starting to sound as pushy as Yami Bakura in a bad mood, as I take out a fresh set of clothes in compliance to its orders.

Definitely something that I can do without, but I've learned a long time ago that controlling one's thoughts is a much more difficult task than one could have possibly suspected.

~ * ~

When I was younger, I had a habit of staying in the shower for excessively long periods of time until the hot water ran out or a particularly rabid family member would scream at me to get out. Apparently, patience was a virtue my entire family had failed to learn, but that is a different story.

It's nice to relax for a moment, but clearing my mind doesn't seem to really been working right now. It seems that as soon as my mind clears in the least, more thoughts come rushing in to add to the confusion. It's as if someone is refusing to leave me alone, and just won't be satisfied until I have been tortured for all of eternity…

I sigh as I pick up the shampoo bottle and dump a substantial quantity into my hair, noting with interest as it starts to sparkle slightly and the smell of peach grows more noticeable. I can't help but crack a slight smile as I lather it in, even though it does remind me of him. But at least it was a pleasant memory, not one that is depressing or causing me to get depressed…

Fairydust. Heh. If only it came in a little Chinese jar with pretty, mythical designs on it and came from the wings of magical butterflies.

If only it worked…

It's just that… well, everything about the past two weeks has been… confusing, to say the least. I don't really know what to think about everything that has happened, and the only thing that keeps running through my head is… him.

_I didn't think it was possible you would fall in love with him._

Well, if it makes you feel better, Jyounouchi-kun, I don't think either of us thought it was possible. Yet you seemed to think so. Otherwise, you wouldn't have brought up the possibility in the first place. Why is that, Jyounouchi-kun? Why did you think it was possible when the two people you were theorizing about completely doubted its possibility? You, Emi-chan, Otogi-kun… even otousan, Koushiro-san, Taichi-san, Yoshizawa-san, and Michelle-san all seem to be trying to tell us something that we hear but cannot fully comprehend.

Honestly, how could this have happened?

I quickly duck my head into the pleasant spray of the showerhead, letting the shampoo wash out of my hair, taking the peach smell and the sparkles away and forcing them down the drain. Leaving me feel empty as I watch the sparkles twinkle sadly before disappearing on a journey to wherever they end up.

I'm beginning to think there's some type of symbolism behind this…

_Bakura-kun… if Kaiba should tell you what Honda told me… and I know you think that is very unlikely but I don't think it is as unlikely as you think… anyhow, if he should, you should try your best not to screw it up… cause you'll hate yourself when the opportunity passes and you're still dreaming._

Demo, Otogi-kun… I did do my best… didn't I? Yet why am I still standing here, letting the water fall down my face as if I'm waiting for something to accompany it? I don't know what but it feels like there's something missing and I'm groping blindly in the darkness in an attempt to find it. I'm still dreaming about a better time and hoping for a better time that I know won't be coming, but I can't help but keep hoping that it will come.

I'm too caught up in my oh-so-deep-and-dark thoughts to the point that I don't notice the bathroom door opening until it actually opens. Which immediately causes me to whip around, my eyes wide and my body rigid in shock as a familiar face blurred by the glass pokes his head in.

"Ryou?"

I scream.

And it's not one of those soft, shocked screams that nobody can hear except for the screamer, but one of those loud, oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-this-is-happening-to-me-somebody-SERIOUSLY-must-hate-me screams as I stare at Seto's face through the cloudy glass. I thank the god who had the towels covering the bottom half of the glass door, although it's not enough to hide my bright red face. Damn Jyounouchi-kun, why on earth can't he ever remember to LOCK the door! Hell, why didn't _I_ remember to check if the door was locked after he left?! I know he never locks the door, I know it!

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my _god_.

His face is also rapidly turning red as we stare at each other in a moment of suspended reality, and I resist the urge to start shrieking again.

It is, however, a very close call.

"Su… Sumimasen! [1]" he yells before spinning around and practically running out of the room, slamming the bathroom door shut on his way out. I just let out a depressed wail and whack my head against the wall, silently cursing myself and the gods and Jyounouchi-kun for good measure.

"Oh my GOD!!!" I wail as I resist the urge to curl up in the corner and die.

If I wasn't sure that somebody was taking a sadistic pleasure in tormenting me before this incident, then I'm now very sure of its validity.

~ * ~

I'm not sure how long I spent just standing there, trying to slow down my rapid heart beat and wondering if I'm still dreaming or simply being tortured in the seventh circle of hell or something along those lines… well, how else to explain what has just happened? Although I suppose I shouldn't be _that_ irrational… I mean, it's not like he's seen anything that he hasn't seen before, right?

Oh dear, did I just say what I thought I did?

The shower no longer seems as comforting as it did before, so my hands fumble for the knobs controlling the hot water and cold water. Abruptly, it reaches one and turns it off randomly, and I'm suddenly hit by a freezing burst of water as the hot water is turned off. Quickly, before I can freeze to death (what a pathetic ending that would be… fitting since it's so pathetic, but pathetic nevertheless), I turn the other knob and the water completely shuts off, leaving me shivering still even as the water continues to drip a drop at a time from the shower head. It's like that persistent little hope, refusing to stop its flow just because somebody was trying to stop it.

But it will eventually give up, won't it?

I shake my head as I grab a fluffy towel, drying myself off as I try to calm down and rationalize about what had just happened… what there is to rationalize I'm not quite sure, but I have to do something when it comes to thinking about it or I'm just going to be… be… thinking about it for a very long time.

First of all, why did he come in? Didn't he hear the shower going? Did he think that… oh, I don't know what he could have been thinking to make him do that! I still don't understand why he went through with this whole week thing… why he couldn't have taken the easier way out. Is he deliberately trying to make everything more difficult for him or something? Or for me, even?

Now that is just getting egocentric.

Still, I'm in shock that it could have happened. Even though I know that he's probably not there anymore… was probably a whim or something. Maybe it was an illusion! It's not like I actually _felt_ him, right?

Yeah, and the door opening and closing was a trick of the light. Don't be so naïve… just… stop it.

I can't help but feel an angry rush of emotions overcoming me… emotions that I can't understand because they are jumbled and mixed together in an overwhelming symphony of sounds, not all of them pleasant but not all of them… unpleasant.

Tugging on my clothes, I start to fall back into my state of silent contemplation again. It's something I do a lot, but it seems to be something that I have been doing a lot more lately.

Somebody once compared human life to the Greek and Roman myth about a king who repeatedly tricked the gods to the point of completely exasperating and angering them. [2] And everyone knows it's not really a good idea to piss off the gods, as this poor guy also found out when he died and went to the underworld, where he was given the punishment of rolling a boulder to the top of a hill. However, every time he got to the top, the boulder would slip and he would have to start over again.

The question in this is something along the lines of 'why would he keep doing it if he knows that he is going to fail?' However, this philosopher compared the king with humans… the journey is what counts for the most, not the end result. We are all working and striving for a goal, but it should be the feeling that we have at least tried becoming the most important factor in doing it, not just accomplishing it. For what is life without the journey to excel?

Or the novella of the old man who wanted to catch a fish. [3] He worked so hard to gain his goal… went through so much pain and agony in order to prove that he could still keep up with everyone else… only to have his prize ripped away. But in a way, didn't he still prove that although he was old and nobody believed in him anymore, he was still just as strong as everyone else, if not stronger? Didn't he show the world and more importantly, show _himself_ that it _wasn't_ over yet, that he had gone against what everybody thought of him and survived?

And isn't that the most important thing? To prove to yourself that perhaps you're not as hopeless as you thought you were before?

Pulling on the long-sleeved shirt over my wet hair, I sigh at the wet strands that continue to drip water onto the tile floor. I had been planning on drying it with a hair dryer, but I'm too impatient to go out there and prove myself right or wrong.

My fingertips brush the door knob and I can't help but hesitate.

On one hand, if he's not there, my fears can be put to rest. I can finally let go and put an end to all this madness. I need to move on, I can't spend the rest of my life thinking about this.

But on the other hand, if he's there. Am I going to be happy? What am I going to feel?

I don't know. I really don't know anymore.

As quickly as I can, so I can't stop until it's too late, I turn the knob and push the door open, letting out a burst of warm air out with me as I enter the dorm room.

I blink for a moment, trying to adjust my sight even though I don't know why it should be a bit blurry in the first place, and when it clears my heart leaps into my throat as I find myself staring at Kaiba Seto. It's really him too… it's not an illusion, it's not a figment of my overactive imagination. It's him, and I try to calm myself and accept the fact that he is sitting right there watching me with an expression that I cannot decipher at all.

We just kinda stare at each other for a moment, as if still not fully accepting the fact that the other person is there and waiting for the illusion to fade away. Finally, he lets a guarded expression fall over his face and he plays absent-mindedly with the crystal moon that okaasan gave me after the divorce.

"So… did you get your term paper back today?"

"U… un… [4]" I hesitate, a bit thrown off by the random topic.

"Well? How did you do?" He sounds more like otousan right now than anyone, and it's kind of weird. But I suppose it's better than going straight to the inevitable.

"Fine." Actually, I got a perfect score, but for some reason, the words won't form in my mouth and it pushes out this coldly impersonal reply. Although I really shouldn't be so surprised by my own actions since in a way, they are understandable after what happened on Sunday. But since I don't usually act like this, it is still quite a bit of a surprise.

"I'm… I'm sorry for not calling earlier. This week has been hectic, and some… stuff came up," he suddenly says after we blink at each other in awkward silence. Then he grimaces and laughs slightly, an action that really causes me to stare, "I got the make inu's phone call. And to think that I had always thought I would never have to admit that he was right."

What does he mean by that?!

He stands up and walks over to me, and I have to use all my self-control to keep myself from bolting and locking myself in the bathroom, as I did yesterday. I feel my hair standing on end as he reaches over to take my hand, and while it feels just as nice as it used to, it also feels… awkward.

_Oh will you just stop self-pitying yourself already, yadonushi?!_ Yami Bakura screams.

I gulp and look up into Seto's eyes, praying that some vindictive god out there isn't going to strike me dead for doing so, and find myself looking into eyes that are surprisingly soft and gentle. It would be nice if right about now, everything that happened in the past week would go away and I could pretend that everything was going on happily and like a fairy tale.

But since it's not happening like that and both of us know that the last week can never be erased, I can only hope that whatever is coming is truthful this time. I'm just… tired of being lied to. I want all my questioned answered, all my doubts put to rest or at least calmed down in the very least. I want to know why any of this happened.

His free hand takes a lock of my white hair as a small smile comes across his face. It reminds me of the smile that Emi-chan gave me… small, but sincere and decidedly much nicer than any of the fake smiles I got in the beginning of the week, or the china doll smile that had stretched across his face like a gruesome image when Yoshizawa-san came to talk to us about the completion of the deal.

And, ultimately, the completion of our deal.

"You're still using my shampoo," he observes as he plays with the strands before looking at me and carefully choosing his next words, "Fairydust… wasn't it used to get people to confess their truest, deepest desires?"

"Se…" I'm about to replace it with my usual 'Kaiba-kun', but for some reason, decide against it, "Seto… what are you doing here?"

"That's a fair question, all things considered." He drops my hair although his other hand still is holding mine tightly. Before another one of those awkward pauses can fall between us, he quickly charges ahead.

"What do you say if we go out for dinner?"

~ * ~

We're back at The Angel Wings restaurant, which I suppose is a good sign… but of what, I really don't know. I guess I should be happy that he's taking me to the place where he always takes Mokuba, and there were some wonderful memories connected to this place… but in a way, it's still a bit unnerving to be back here. Especially since conventional logic says that we shouldn't be seated across from each other again… never again.

We have ordered and now are sitting there in awkward silence, bring back many memories of my lunch with Emi-chan yesterday. I wonder if Seto knows about that one? Perhaps he thinks we were conspiring against him as we both plan to snatch him in order to carve his company up for ourselves. Heh, that thought is kinda amusing, actually. (Amusing because it will never be able to happen, as neither of us are interested in that and I highly doubt that Seto would let us come close to accomplishing that goal without a fight.)

Finally, unable to stand the silence any longer although I should be used to it by now, I stop looking at the fascinating-and-imaginary spot on the wall to turn my attention to Seto, who is staring blankly out the window, where the rain continues to pour down in torrents. He doesn't notice that I'm watching him, so engrossed in the depressingly dark view outside, until I open my mouth and start talking.

"Why… why did you do all of this, Seto? Why did you go through with this big act?" my voice cracks slightly even as I continue with his piercing blue eyes fixed intently on me, "I mean, there were other ways of getting rid of Emi-chan without pretending you had a boyfriend…"

"Emi-chan?" he raises an eyebrow. I'm guessing that he picked up on my use of –chan rather than –san, but I also think that's a completely different story and I hope he isn't trying to change the topic or something. People tend to do that a lot with me, although I have no idea why. I do know, however, that it is extraordinarily annoying and I hate it when people do that to me. It always makes me feel deficient or something similar to that.

"I… I didn't really need to get rid of her."

I can't help but choke as I scream (only loudly enough for the two of us to hear), "What?!"

He chuckles slightly, which makes me want to cream him, "Ryou… you've seen her father. He doesn't care one way or the other if his daughter gets rejected, and in a way, she doesn't care too much herself. I'm not saying that she's a player, but she's the type of person who tends to bounce back after a rejection until she finds somebody else to dedicate her time to. I… I guess I just used her as a reason."

"A reason?" I repeat incredulously, still in a state of disbelief. A reason?! A reason for _what_?! More and more I'm starting to feel like a pathetic sod who was too stupid to know that the world around me was still moving ahead while I was stuck standing there, looking back at the past and wondering what had gone wrong.

"I hadn't exactly been truthful with you about that week," he continues as I just gape at him with my mouth hanging open like a stupid cow chewing its curd, "I guess… getting Emi-chan off my back was one of the reasons, but it wasn't the only reason. It wasn't the real reason."

"Then what was?"

I can't believe this. I just can't believe any of this. I knew he was lying to me about _something_, as there were so many easier ways of doing this than the one he chose to. But… I never imagined it to be _this_ big! I never imagined that he was lying to me about the reasoning behind all of this, that I was naïve enough to believe him when he was obviously not telling the truth! Why didn't I notice? Why didn't I ever say to myself that there was something wrong with his story? Well, obviously I did, but I never put two and two together. Why? Why is this _happening_ to me?

"I liked you."

That stops my thoughts dead in mid-rant, "Ex… excuse me?"

_Now_ I'm definitely hallucinating. He could not have just said that, right?

It's not that I'm a whiny person (okay, perhaps I am a bit whiny) who refuses to believe the things that I have just been told (although after what just happened, I suppose there is a reason for that). It's just that… this is way over my head. This is the kind of thing that makes you think 'this cannot be happening', no matter how plausible it is. Although in this case, it's very implausible. Once again, I'm starting to feel very sympathetic for Otogi-kun, as I'm starting to understand what he must have gone through when Honda-kun confessed so suddenly to him at the end of the last school year.

"I liked you," Seto repeats, a small smile tugging at his lips again as he reaches across the table and takes the hand that had been previously been ripping a napkin into small pieces, "I… didn't see much of you, but I liked what I saw. You were… cute."

Call the presses. Kaiba Seto just said the word 'cute'. But then again, this is the guy who reads shoujo manga… so I suppose it's not that big a deal for him. But still… cute?

I'm _cute_?

Yami Bakura is laughing maniacally in the back of my mind, and I quickly tune him out, something that is reasonably difficult to learn but has proved to be a highly useful skill ever since I took the time to do so.

"I… I don't know how to explain it. It's just that… you were one of the first people besides Mokuba who I felt a need to take care of. But at the same time, you had this shyness that made you too demure to ever ask for it voluntarily.

"You confused me. You'd seem happy then sad and half the time you seemed to be showing emotions which everybody could tell weren't real because you didn't look like you even understood what you were feeling.

"I wanted to take care of you.

"But I couldn't just tell you that, so when Emi-chan came along… it was the perfect opportunity. You were always willing to help people out, I figured you would do it this time too.

"I kinda thought that a week would probably be enough to put those feelings to rest and then I wouldn't have to think about it anymore. I didn't think it would become more."

More?

All I can say is that if this is a dream, it's one heck of a nice dream and I hope it doesn't end for quite a while.

"Is that why you never called?"

He doesn't show any shock at my question, if he is even feeling any, and nods his head, "Yeah."

"Seto… please don't lie to me anymore," my words come out more like a whisper than anything else, and my voice cracks at the most inappropriate intervals, "Is that the truth?"

"Yes."

I don't really know what to say now. It's as if for the first time in my life, everything is going in the right direction and I'm no longer floating over the great abyss of no emotion and no feeling. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes and I don't even know why except I can feel all my doubts dissipating.

Perhaps it's foolish of me to be so trustful (gullible) after everything that happened, but… I just want to enjoy this for a change. Is that too much to ask? I want to be happy and not think that it's all going to crumble before my eyes.

I hear the sound of a chair moving and before I know it, he's pulled me up into his arms and is rocking me gently. While I start to make a giant prat out of myself by crying in front of an entire restaurant… but then again, The Angel Wings is conspicuously empty on a Saturday night and the only people who are here are the staff.

And Seto.

"Shh… don't cry, Ryou… your eyes will get all red," he whispers, and I can't help but laugh slightly through the tears as he holds me tightly.

"Omae… omae ga suki da [5]," I mumble into his shoulder, barely audible to my ears, but I know he heard it because I can feel him smiling.

I've never said these words and meant them so sincerely, but I suppose this is as good a time as any.

He loosens his grip a bit so that I can look into his eyes before he reaches down to kiss me, bringing a rush of memories from a happier time when we weren't so plagued by all these doubts and questions. And, once again, I let myself go and am completely drawn in.

I'm happy. I'm really, really happy now.

Then we are suddenly wrenched apart when we hear a familiar bellowing.

"Kisamaaaaaaaaaaa! [6]"

I want to bury my face in my hands as Jyounouchi-kun suddenly comes charging in to tackle Seto, even with Mai-san desperately trying to hold him back. Mai-san is definitely no pushover, but even she is no match to Jyounouchi-kun in the murderous rage he gets into every time he sees Seto.

Sometimes, I don't really think they hate each other. I think it's just a demented tradition that nobody else can understand without a temporary loss in sanity.

"Gomen nasai Bakura!" Mai yells over the din of Jyounouchi-kun trying to pummel Seto and Seto trying to kill him for interrupting us, "Katsuya! For pity's sake!"

However, instead of worrying about the fact that Jyounouchi-kun is going to be black and blue by the time Seto gets through with him (Seto does have a bit of a physical advantage, after all), or the fact that Mai-san is going to be hopping mad by the time this is over with, or the idea of Seto taunting Jyounouchi-kun after he's diagnosed with a broken jaw and being forced to eat out of a tube for a month, I just laugh. I can't help it as all my doubts wash away and I remember the sweet kiss that Seto and I managed to slip in before Jyounouchi-kun's untimely intervention.

I'm no longer crying, just… a feeling of contentment has fallen over me, and it's something that I find very pleasant. For now, at least, I don't have to worry about this and that, of the maybes and possibilities of something happening. For now, I can just let myself enjoy the moment rather than always worrying about the future.

The week, the deal… it's finally finished. All of that is over, but we're still rolling the boulder up the hill and searching for that fish to prove ourselves to… well, ourselves. We're still moving on.

_You're getting sappy._

I am, aren't I?

_Very much so._

I laugh inwardly as I absent-mindedly finger the strands of my hair. I've never been that fond of playing with my hair, unlike Otogi-kun who does it all the time, but I can't help it right now.

I can't help but wonder… if I concentrate hard enough, would I still be able to see the faint sparkles of fairydust on it?

Translations and Notes:

[1] Ex… excuse me!!

[2]This was something we read in English class for our existentialism unit… kinda seems to be a mix of existentialism and transcendentalism though… :p I tend to get the two blurred together because I love both concepts.

[3] The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway… we just finished reading this for English class, and it has got to be one of the most depressing things I have ever read. I didn't exactly like it that much, but it just broke my heart when I got to the end.

[4] Ye… yes…

[5] I love you

[6] You bas*ard! (one of the many useful Japanese words I learned from reading Yu-gi-oh manga :p)

Yep, tis the end. The actual end. I hope it wasn't too sappy or maybe not fluffy enough, but I figure it was the best way to end it. They're finally together, right?

Sorry if I sound like I'm getting sentimental… but I am. I've spent about 5 months working on this fic, which has proved to be my longest and most successful fic to this point. I'm glad that I have managed to finish it, but I also feel sad that it's really over.

As for the sequel "Look the Other Way", it should be out within a month… or at least _some_ fic. ^^;; I'll be taking off a month from publishing (with the exception of one-shots and the such) to focus on several fics that have been rotting in my computer and to start building up chapters so that I don't have to procrastinate too much. As some of you might have noticed, I tend to do that _a lot_. 

Besides, who knows, maybe I'll even get a life! ^_~

Basically, all that's left is for me to thank you all for the support you've given me. I don't know if this fic ever would have been finished without all of you! But when I was feeling a bit down, all I needed to remember was that I had who knows how many people ready to rip me into pieces if I should say 'I quit!', something that I've done all too often to many of my works.

Special thanks to the following people: rayemars-san, V-chan, Ruri-chan, Nalan Li, and Neko-chan. ^_^ You've all been there for me when I needed it most, and you've all made this writing experience more… well, _lasting_.

Many more thanks to Mariel, my wonderful beta-reader. And to Kei-kun and pinkangelsakura for their helpful plot bunnies, despite how much you two exasperate me. And Yuki for sitting on my lap with his big chocolate brown eyes and soft white fur! :p

And although I never said this, Wildwolf-chan, this story is for you. I meant to say that in the first chapter, but I was too shy to do so. Because while you attribute this story to making more Seto*Ryou fans, you were the one that made _me_ a fan of this coupling.

  
Arigatou, mina-san.

Pikachumaniac

__

~ owari ~

January 18, 2003


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